There are options to copy dependency names/urls/versions to files.
Recommendation
Normally it is safer to work from a new environment rather than changing root. However, consider backing up your existing environments before attempting changes. Verify the desired outcome by testing these commands in a demo environment. To backup your root env for example:
λ conda activate root
λ conda env export > environment_root.yml
λ conda list --explicit > spec_file_root.txt
Options
Option 1 - YAML file
Within the second environment (e.g. myenv), export names+ to a yaml file:
λ activate myenv
λ conda env export > environment.yml
then update the first environment+ (e.g. root) with the yaml file:
λ conda env update --name root --file environment.yml
Option 2 - Cloning an environment
Use the --clone flag to clone environments (see @DevC's post):
λ conda create --name myclone --clone root
This basically creates a direct copy of an environment.
Option 3 - Spec file
Make a spec-file++ to append dependencies from an env (see @Ormetrom):
λ activate myenv
λ conda list --explicit > spec_file.txt
λ conda install --name root --file spec_file.txt
Alternatively, replicate a new environment (recommended):
λ conda create --name myenv2 --file spec_file.txt
See Also
conda env for more details on the env sub-commands.- Anaconada Navigator desktop program for a more graphical experience.
- Docs on updated commands. With older conda versions use
activate (Windows) and source activate (Linux/Mac OS). Newer versions of conda can use conda activate (this may require some setup with your shell configuration via conda init).
- Discussion on keeping
conda env
Extras
There appears to be an undocumented conda run option to help execute commands in specific environments.
# New command
λ conda run --name myenv conda list --explicit > spec_file.txt
The latter command is effective at running commands in environments without the activation/deactivation steps. See the equivalent command below:
# Equivalent
λ activate myenv
λ conda list --explicit > spec_file.txt
λ deactivate
Note, this is likely an experimental feature, so this may not be appropriate in production until official adoption into the public API.
+Conda docs have changed since the original post; links updated.
++Spec-files only work with environments created on the same OS. Unlike the first two options, spec-files only capture links to conda dependencies; pip dependencies are not included.
