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 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.