Anaconda FAQ

See also Troubleshooting

Now that I have installed Anaconda, what do I do?

Take our 30-minute conda test drive, download a conda cheat sheet and see our “Using conda” section for fun things to do with Anaconda.

How do I install Anaconda on a non-networked machine?

You will need to have a local copy of the appropriate Anaconda installer for the non-networked machine. You can copy the Anaconda installer to the target machine using many different methods including (but not limited to) a portable hard drive, USB drive, or a CD. After you’ve copied the installer to the non-networked machine, simply follow the Anaconda installation instructions.

How do I install packages on a non-networked machine?

You can directly install a conda package from your local machine by running the following command, and replacing “package-path” and “package-filename.tar.bz2” with your actual path and filename:

conda install /package-path/package-filename.tar.bz2

Packages installed by conda are found in the anaconda/pkgs directory.

You can also install a tar file (.tar) containing many conda packages by running this command, and replacing “packages-path” and “packages-filename.tar” with your actual path and filename:

conda install /packages-path/packages-filename.tar

If conda cannot find the file, try using an absolute pathname instead of a relative pathname.

NOTE: Installing packages directly from the file does not resolve dependencies. If your installed package does not work it may have missing dependencies that need to be resolved manually.

How do I move Anaconda from one directory to another?

Anaconda must be installed in the directory in which you want it to work. So to place Anaconda in a different directory, delete it from the old directory, go to the new directory and install it there following the Anaconda installation instructions.

How do I get help with difficulties installing a package?

The package creators or maintainers may be able to help you with installing the package, or help by building and publishing an updated version. Package creators may also contact Continuum Analytics to submit their package for consideration to be included in Anaconda.

You may also build your own package, and share it with other users on Anaconda.org.

You can find free community support from the Anaconda Support Group or learn about Continuum’s other support options. Continuum also offers custom package builds as one of our consulting services.

Does Anaconda include Python 2 or Python 3?

Anaconda2 includes Python 2.7 and Anaconda3 includes Python 3.6. However, it doesn’t matter which one you download, because you can create new environments that include any version of Python packaged with conda. See “Managing Python with conda”.

How can I install specific versions of conda packages?

The simplest way to install a specific version of a package is by giving the desired version number (or its prefix) after the package name:

conda install foo=2.3.4

Or to only specify a major version:

conda install foo=2

These commands install into the environment that is currently active. You can also install into a named environment:

conda install foo=2.3.4 -n some_environment

If the package is specific to a Python version, conda will use the version installed in the current or named environment. More details on versions, dependencies, and channels can be found at “Conda FAQ” and “Conda Troubleshooting”.

How do I switch an environment from Python 2 to Python 3?

conda update moves up to the latest compatible version, while conda install can be used to install any version. For example, if Python 2.7.7 is currently installed but the latest version of Python 2 is 2.7.12 and the latest version of Python 3 is 3.5.2, then conda update python will install Python 2.7.12, while conda install python=3 will install Python 3.5.2. Conda uses the same rules for other packages, so conda install can always install the highest version, and conda update will always install the highest version with the same major version number.

How do I install a license file for Anaconda products?

After purchasing a license, you will be sent an email containing an attached license file. See our license installation page for full instructions.

How can I use TKinter with Python 3 in macOS 10.8?

macOS 10.8 and later do not come with X11, which must be installed to use TKinter with Python. To correct this problem, download Xquartz.

How can I use Cython on macOS?

Cython needs a C compiler, so you’ll need to install Xcode.

How can I use Theano?

Theano does require gcc for acceleration. To install Theano with acceleration on Windows run conda install theano, and on Linux and macOS run conda install gcc theano.

NOTE: As shown in the package list, Theano is not installed with Anaconda by default, but Theano is available to install from the default Anaconda channels for Windows, macOS and Linux.

How is CPython compiled?

  • Python 2.6 and 2.7 were compiled with Visual Studio 2008
  • Python 3.3 and 3.4 were compiled with VS 2010
  • Python 3.5 was compiled with VS 2015

How can I handle linking problems when Python extensions are compiled with gcc?

We resolve linking problems using the mingw import library (the conda package libpython), which Continuum Analytics builds and includes with Anaconda.

How can I configure or opt out of using the Intel Math Kernel Library (MKL)?

Please see the Anaconda MKL documentation for information on configuring and uninstalling MKL.

How can I use Anaconda on Windows XP?

Windows XP is supported on Anaconda versions 2.2 and earlier. Download it from our archive.

How can I use Anaconda on macOS 10.5, 10.6, 10,7, or 10.8?

MacOS 10.5 and macOS 10.6 are supported by the command line installers for Anaconda versions 1.8 and earlier. These are the installer files that end in ”.sh” and not ”.pkg”. MacOS 10.7 and macOS 10.8 are supported by Anaconda versions 4.2 and earlier. Download them from our archive.

How can I resolve problems running Anaconda on macOS 10.12.2?

Some installations of Anaconda on macOS 10.12.2 experienced incorrect file and directory permissions, which caused a range of errors with Navigator and other parts of Anaconda. We recommend that any users with Anaconda on macOS 10.12.2 follow these steps:

  1. Uninstall Anaconda. Open the Terminal.app or iTerm2 terminal application and remove your Anaconda directory, which will have a name such as “anaconda2” or “anaconda3”, by entering a command such as this: rm -rf ~/anaconda3
  2. Use a text editor such as TextEdit to open the file named .bash_profile in your home directory. If you see a line that adds Anaconda or Miniconda to your PATH environment variable, remove this line, and then save and close the file. For example, if you see a line such as export PATH="/Users/jsmith/anaconda3/bin:$PATH", remove that line.
  3. Update to macOS 10.12.3 or later.
  4. Reinstall Anaconda.

How can I install or uninstall the Jupyter Notebook Extensions?

To install the Jupyter Notebook Extensions, run conda install nb_conda or install the nb_conda package in Anaconda Navigator. To uninstall the Jupyter Notebook Extensions, run conda remove nb_conda or remove the nb_conda package in Navigator. Please see the Jupyter Notebook Extensions page for full information about these extensions, installing them and uninstalling them, and disabling them without uninstalling them.

How can I cite Anaconda in an academic paper?

If you wish to cite Anaconda in an academic paper, we recommend this format:

Anaconda Software Distribution. Computer software. Vers. 2-2.4.0. Continuum Analytics, Nov. 2016. Web. <https://continuum.io>.

How can I get answers to questions not listed here?

Free support for Anaconda is available through the Anaconda mailing list. For Continuum Analytics installation or technical support options, visit our support offerings page.