Minimal install

Minimal install#

Miniforge - all you need…#

The very easiest way to get a minimal install of Conda, Mamba and Python, with conda-forge as default channel is to install Miniforge.
Once Miniforge is installed, you should be able to use conda and mamba in your terminal.

The very easiest way to install Miniforge is to download and run a provided installer for your OS from https://conda-forge.org/download/

Mac & Linux: Download the installer and run bash Miniforge3-$(uname)-$(uname -m).sh Windows: download and run the Windows installer.

Note for Windows users:
By default the commands are not added to the path environment (making them available in the default Windows Command Prompt (CMD)). This is a precautious step, to avoid chances of software conflicts.
Solutions:

  • Option 1 (easiest, safest): Use Anaconda Prompt, like the freshly installed Miniforge Prompt

  • Option 2: Initialise conda in the Anaconda Prompt by typing conda init. Close your propmpt window and open it again. Now the commands should be available

  • Option 3: Manually add C:\Users\myusername\miniforge3\condabin to the path environment. This will allow you to use the commands from any prompt, with limited risk of conflicts with other software.

Alternative - Using (mini)conda#

Installing miniconda#

Mac#

On a mac, run the following four commands in a terminal window (create a new miniconda3 directory in your home directory, dowload the latest version of Miniconda, silently run the installer, remove the installer).

If you have a new Apple Silicon chip

mkdir -p ~/miniconda3

curl https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-arm64.sh -o ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh

bash ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh -b -u -p ~/miniconda3

rm ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh

Linux#

  1. Download and rename the latest verison of Miniconda:
    wget https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -O ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh

  2. Silently install miniconda:
    bash ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh -b -u -p ~/miniconda3

  3. Remove the installer:
    rm ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh

  4. Close and reopen the terminal or run:
    source ~/miniconda3/bin/activate

  5. To initialise conda on on all shells use:
    conda init --all

Windows#

Install using Installer#

Download the installer from the anaconda website
Install for current user, without automatically setting the Windows env "Install Miniconda without setting the Path Environment"
After the Miniconda setup finishes, we can’t call conda from the command line until we have added it to our system environment.

Setting Path Environment#

  1. Open the Start Menu and search for ‘Environment Variables’. You will likely have to enter your admin credentials.

  2. Click on ‘Edit the system environment variables’.

  3. In the System Properties window, click on ‘Environment Variables’
    "Select Environmental Variables"

  4. In the Environment Variables window, under ‘System variables’, find and select ‘Path’, then click on ‘Edit’. "Edit Environmental Variables"

  5. Add ‘New’ and select folder where Miniconda was installed:
    For conda, pip, etc.: C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\miniconda3\Scripts
    For Python: C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\miniconda3\

Press OK in all open Windows.

This should have made Python and conda accessible from the Anaconda Prompt. To test this, open a new Anaconda Prompt window:
Start Menu -> Anaconda (miniconda3) -> Anaconda Prompt.
Open Anaconda Prompt

Check miniconda and Python install#

Open Anaconda prompt (or any terminal on Linux and Mac).

Check the verison of conda: conda info
Check which Python version is installed: python -V

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