Restores _default_compilers to ccompilers.py for backwards compatibility

distutils/ccompiler.py

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+from .compat.numpy import (  # noqa: F401
+    _default_compilers,
+    compiler_class,
+)
 from .compilers.C import base
 from .compilers.C.base import (
-    compiler_class,
     gen_lib_options,
     gen_preprocess_options,
     get_default_compiler,
@@ -12,7 +15,6 @@
 __all__ = [
     'CompileError',
     'LinkError',
-    'compiler_class',
     'gen_lib_options',
     'gen_preprocess_options',
     'get_default_compiler',

distutils/compat/numpy.py

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# required for older numpy versions on Pythons prior to 3.12; see pypa/setuptools#4876
+from ..compilers.C.base import _default_compilers, compiler_class  # noqa: F401

newsfragments/4876.bugfix.2.rst

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Restore `distutils.ccompiler._default_compilers` -- by :user:`ManiacDC`