Command reference

Conda provides many commands for managing packages and environments. The links on this page provide help for each command. You can also access help from the command line with the --help flag:

conda install --help

The following commands are part of conda:

• conda clean
  • Removal Targets
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda compare
  • Positional Arguments
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
  • Target Environment Specification
• conda config
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
  • Config File Location Selection
  • Config Subcommands
  • Config Modifiers
• conda create
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
  • Channel Customization
  • Solver Mode Modifiers
  • Package Linking and Install-time Options
  • Networking Options
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda info
  • Named Arguments
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda init
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • setup type
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda install
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
  • Channel Customization
  • Solver Mode Modifiers
  • Package Linking and Install-time Options
  • Networking Options
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda list
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda notices
  • Channel Customization
• conda package
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
• conda remove
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
  • Channel Customization
  • Solver Mode Modifiers
  • Networking Options
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda rename
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
• conda run
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
• conda search
  • Named Arguments
  • Channel Customization
  • Networking Options
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options
• conda update
  • Positional Arguments
  • Named Arguments
  • Target Environment Specification
  • Channel Customization
  • Solver Mode Modifiers
  • Package Linking and Install-time Options
  • Networking Options
  • Output, Prompt, and Flow Control Options

Conda vs. pip vs. virtualenv commands

If you have used pip and virtualenv in the past, you can use conda to perform all of the same operations. Pip is a package manager and virtualenv is an environment manager. conda is both.

Scroll to the right to see the entire table.

Task	Conda package and environment manager command	Pip package manager command	Virtualenv environment manager command
Install a package	conda install $PACKAGE_NAME	pip install $PACKAGE_NAME	X
Update a package	conda update --name $ENVIRONMENT_NAME $PACKAGE_NAME	pip install --upgrade $PACKAGE_NAME	X
Update package manager	conda update conda	Linux/macOS: pip install -U pip Win: python -m pip install -U pip	X
Uninstall a package	conda remove --name $ENVIRONMENT_NAME $PACKAGE_NAME	pip uninstall $PACKAGE_NAME	X
Create an environment	conda create --name $ENVIRONMENT_NAME python	X	cd $ENV_BASE_DIR; virtualenv $ENVIRONMENT_NAME
Activate an environment	conda activate $ENVIRONMENT_NAME*	X	source $ENV_BASE_DIR/$ENVIRONMENT_NAME/bin/activate
Deactivate an environment	conda deactivate	X	deactivate
Search available packages	conda search $SEARCH_TERM	pip search $SEARCH_TERM	X
Install package from specific source	conda install --channel $URL $PACKAGE_NAME	pip install --index-url $URL $PACKAGE_NAME	X
List installed packages	conda list --name $ENVIRONMENT_NAME	pip list	X
Create requirements file	conda list --export	pip freeze	X
List all environments	conda info --envs	X	Install virtualenv wrapper, then lsvirtualenv
Install other package manager	conda install pip	pip install conda	X
Install Python	conda install python=x.x	X	X
Update Python	conda update python*	X	X

* conda activate only works on conda 4.6 and later versions. For conda versions prior to 4.6, type:

• Windows: activate

• Linux and macOS: source activate

* conda update python updates to the most recent in the series, so any Python 2.x would update to the latest 2.x and any Python 3.x to the latest 3.x.