Miniconda is a tool used to manage packages and create development environments. As a new Python learner, I find it challenging to remember all the conda commands. To help with this, I found a conda cheat sheet online, which I’ve shared below.

Conda basics

function	conda command
Verify conda is installed, check version number	conda info
Update conda to the current version	conda update conda
Install a package included in Anaconda	conda install PACKAGENAME
Run a package after install, example Spyder*	spyder
Update any installed program	conda update PACKAGENAME
Command line help	COMMANDNAME --help conda install --help

*, Must be installed and have a deployable command, usually PACKAGENAME

Using environments

function	conda command
Create a new environment named py35, install Python 3.5	conda create --name py35 python=3.5
Activate the new environment to use it	WINDOWS: activate py35 LINUX, macOS: source activate py35
Get a list of all my environments, active environment is shown with *	conda env list
Make exact copy of an environment	conda create --clone py35 --name py35-2
List all packages and versions installed in active environment	conda list
List the history of each change to the current environment	conda list --revisions
Restore environment to a previous revision	conda install --revision 2
Save environment to a text file	conda list --explicit > bio-env.txt
Delete an environment and everything in it	conda env remove --name bio-env
Deactivate the current environment	WINDOWS: deactivate macOS, LINUX: source deactivate
Create environment from a text file	conda env create --file bio-env.txt
Stack commands: create a new environment, name it bio-env and install the biopython package	conda create --name bio-env biopython

Finding conda packages

function	conda command
Use conda to search for a package	conda search PACKAGENAME
See list of all packages in Anaconda	https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/packages/pkg-docs

Installing and updating packages

function	conda command
Install a new package (Jupyter Notebook) in the active environment	conda install jupyter
Run an installed package (Jupyter Notebook)	jupyter-notebook
Install a new package (toolz) in a different environment (bio-env)	conda install --name bio-env toolz
Update a package in the current environment	conda update scikit-learn
Install a package (boltons) from a specific channel (conda-forge)	conda install --channel conda-forge boltons
Install a package directly from PyPI into the current active environment using pip	pip install boltons
Remove one or more packages (toolz, boltons) from a specific environment (bio-env)	conda remove --name bio-env toolz boltons

Managing multiple versions of Python

function	conda command
Install different version of Python in a new environment named py34	conda create --name py34 python=3.4
Switch to the new environment that has a different version of Python	Windows: activate py34 Linux, macOS: source activate py34
Show the locations of all versions of Python that are currently in the path NOTE: The first version of Python in the list will be executed.	Windows: where python Linux, macOS: which -a python
Show version information for the current active Python	python --version

Specifying version numbers

Ways to specify a package version number for use with conda create or conda install commands, and in meta.yaml files.

Constraint type	Specification	Result
Fuzzy	numpy=1.11	1.11.0, 1.11.1, 1.11.2, 1.11.18 etc.
Exact	numpy==1.11	1.11.0
Greater than or equal to	"numpy>=1.11"	1.11.0 or higher
OR	"numpy=1.11.1|1.11.3"	1.11.1, 1.11.3
AND	"numpy>=1.8,<2"	1.8, 1.9, not 2.0

NOTE: Quotation marks must be used when your specification contains a space or any of these characters: > < | *