Bash functions for convenient conda env project management. This is a thin
wrapper on the conda CLI, it should be compatible with most recent versions of
conda and upgrades that maintain the current CLI commands.
Like most tools to provide a virtual environment, these bash functions are only
intended to create a conda env. The purpose of the wrappers is to:
- use a default python version (that might not be the default conda version) and
- to auto-detect the name for an environment based on the current working directory.
It is opinionated about configuring an environment to use conda-forge packages. This can avoid mixing packages from multiple repository sources, which often results in incompatible packages or broken packages. The bash functions do not provide any commands to install any packages.
The conda-venv utility is designed to help manage environments with any available
python version. A default version
can be easily configured.
Source the conda_venv.sh file in ~/.bashrc or similar shell-init, such
as copy the file to /etc/profile.d/conda_venv.sh.
For example:
sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dazza-codes/conda-venv/main/conda_venv.sh > /etc/profile.d/conda_venv.shFor a user installation, use ~/bin/conda_venv.sh. For example:
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dazza-codes/conda-venv/main/conda_venv.sh > ~/bin/conda_venv.shEnsure the shell init includes ~/bin/ in the $PATH (it often does already).
Add the following to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc (or similar shell init file).
if [ -f ~/bin/conda_venv.sh ]; then
source ~/bin/conda_venv.sh
fiFor ZSH, the bash completion support could be enabled using
if [ -f ~/bin/conda_venv.sh ]; then
autoload bashcompinit && bashcompinit
source ~/bin/conda_venv.sh
fiThe conda-install function will try to install the latest miniforge variant of conda (on OSX or Linux).
Follow the prompts from the conda installer.
conda-install
sudo /bin/bash /tmp/Miniforge3-Darwin-x86_64.sh -p /usr/local/miniforge3 -f -b
sudo chown -R $USER:admin /usr/local/miniforge3
/usr/local/miniforge3/bin/conda initSimilarly, the mamba-install function will try to install the latest mambaforge
variant of conda (on OSX or Linux).
The most common use of these bash functions is to activate a project conda env with a default python version or a project-specific python version. For example, the common utility is to change to a git working directory and activate a conda env for that project. For example:
cd ~/src/project-a
conda-venv # to activate or create 'project-a' env
# to deactivate 'project-a' and activate or create 'project-b' env
cd ~/src/project-b
conda-venvThe conda-venv function will use a project name to either activate an existing
conda env or create it. The project name is defined by CONDA_ENV environment
variable or the current working directory (i.e. basename $(pwd)).
mkdir -p ~/tmp/conda-project
cd ~/tmp/conda-project
# creates conda env 'conda-project'
# with a default $PYTHON_SUPPORT_VERSION
conda-venv
# creates conda env 'conda-project' with python 3.9;
# if the conda env was created with a different python
# version, it is not removed.
conda-venv 3.9
# to clean a conda env, use
conda-venv-removeTo override the use of the project directory, use the CONDA_ENV environment
variable.
The intention of this project is to only manage a conda env with any python version. There is no intention to add any functionality to manage any package installations. However, the project conda env is created with options that will get packages from conda-forge, i.e.
conda create --channel conda-forge --override-channels # etc
conda activate # project
conda config --env --add channels conda-forge
conda config --env --set channel_priority strictA default python version is declared using, e.g.
export PYTHON_SUPPORT_VERSION=3.9If you prefer to use a different default version, then edit that env-var in
~/bin/conda_venv.sh or override it in a bash init. The value set in that file
is not automatically updated.
This is based on the oldest python version in support.
It declares a minimal python version to support; this is the lowest version that is still in active maintenance. This might not be the default python version for conda. As a python version approaches EOL support, bumping this to the next lowest version can assist migration strategies.
The conda-venv-base function will recreate a conda env with the python
version. This can be run anytime there is a patch release to any python
version, updates to conda or anytime a clean conda env is required with a
non-default python version.
conda-venv-base 3.7 # creates py3.7
conda-venv-base 3.8 # creates py3.8
conda-venv-base 3.9 # creates py3.9
conda-venv-base 3.10 # creates py3.10
conda-venv-base 3.11 # creates py3.11The conda_venv.sh script provides some sample bash aliases for an existing
conda env with a python version, e.g.:
alias conda-py3.7='conda deactivate; conda activate py3.7'
alias conda-py3.8='conda deactivate; conda activate py3.8'
alias conda-py3.9='conda deactivate; conda activate py3.9'
alias conda-py3.10='conda deactivate; conda activate py3.10'
alias conda-py3.11='conda deactivate; conda activate py3.11'Using conda to manage python versions can be a powerful, reliable solution. But there are some complications for working with python on Apple Silicon, to get support for either arm64 or Intel compatible libraries. For additional tips on working with python on Apple Silicon, see these references below.
Copyright 2019-2023 Darren Weber
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
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