# Environment Management

Similar to pip, conda is an open source package and environment management system 1. Anaconda is a data science platform that comes with a lot of packages. It uses conda at the core. Unlike Anaconda, Miniconda doesn't come with any installed packages by default. Note that for miniconda, everytime you open up a terminal, conda won’t automatically be available. Run the command below to use conda within miniconda.

# Conda

Let’s first start by checking if conda is installed.

$conda --version conda 4.2.12  To see the full documentation for any command, type the command followed by --help. For example, to learn about the conda update command: $ conda update --help


Once it has been confirmed that conda has been installed, we will now make sure that it is up to date.

$conda update conda Using Anaconda Cloud api site https://api.anaconda.org Fetching package metadata: .... .Solving package specifications: ......... Package plan for installation in environment //anaconda: The following packages will be downloaded: package | build ---------------------------|----------------- conda-env-2.6.0 | 0 601 B ruamel_yaml-0.11.14 | py27_0 184 KB conda-4.2.12 | py27_0 376 KB ------------------------------------------------------------ Total: 560 KB The following NEW packages will be INSTALLED: ruamel_yaml: 0.11.14-py27_0 The following packages will be UPDATED: conda: 4.0.7-py27_0 --> 4.2.12-py27_0 conda-env: 2.4.5-py27_0 --> 2.6.0-0 python: 2.7.11-0 --> 2.7.12-1 sqlite: 3.9.2-0 --> 3.13.0-0 Proceed ([y]/n)? y Fetching packages ... conda-env-2.6. 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00 360.78 kB/s ruamel_yaml-0. 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00 5.53 MB/s conda-4.2.12-p 100% |################################| Time: 0:00:00 5.84 MB/s Extracting packages ... [ COMPLETE ]|###################################################| 100% Unlinking packages ... [ COMPLETE ]|###################################################| 100% Linking packages ... [ COMPLETE ]|###################################################| 100%  # Environments ## Create In order to manage environments, we need to create at least two so you can move or switch between them. To create a new environment, use the conda create command, followed by any name you wish to call it: # create new environment conda create -n <your_environment> python=2.7.11  ## Clone Make an exact copy of an environment by creating a clone of it. Here we will clone snowflakes to create an exact copy named flowers: conda create --name flowers --clone snowflakes  ## List List all environments Now you can use conda to see which environments you have installed so far. Use the conda environment info command to find out $ conda info -e

conda environments:


Verify current environment

Which environment are you using right now – snowflakes or bunnies? To find out, type the command:

conda info --envs


## Remove

If you didn’t really want an environment named flowers, just remove it as follows:

conda remove --name flowers --all


## Share

You may want to share your environment with another person, for example, so they can re-create a test that you have done. To allow them to quickly reproduce your environment, with all of its packages and versions, you can give them a copy of your environment.yml file.

Export the environment file

To enable another person to create an exact copy of your environment, you will export the active environment file.

conda env export > environment.yml


Use environment from file

Create a copy of another developer’s environment from their environment.yml file:

conda env create -f environment.yml

# remove environment
conda remove -n <your_environemnt> --all