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Add Anaconda Python (or at least Miniconda)

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ekstrand

12 Aug, 2015 03:51 PM

The Conda package manager and Anaconda Python distribution provide an easy way to install Python packages that can be difficult to install on Windows, such as the Scientific Python stack (numpy, scipy, pandas, etc.). Adding Anaconda Python to the build image would make it easier to test and deploy Python software that uses these packages (or in my particular case, a Java program that uses the Scientific Python stack for some of its integration tests).

I imagine that some would also find it useful to be able to deploy Windows builds of their Conda packages via AppVeyor as well.

1. Support Staff 1 Posted by Feodor Fitsner on 12 Aug, 2015 05:52 PM

   

   Can you please provide instructions how to install it? Thanks!

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2. 2 Posted by ekstrand on 12 Aug, 2015 06:37 PM

   

   The full Anaconda installation is behind a click wall here: https://store.continuum.io/cshop/anaconda/

   Miniconda, which includes the Python interpreter and Conda package manager but without the rest of the packages Anaconda pre-installs, has installers here: http://conda.pydata.org/miniconda.html

   Since most users will likely be using conda environments, and installing specific versions of Conda packages, Miniconda seems like the better option.

   Conda assumes that the installation is writable by the active user, and installing packages installs them directly into the installation (it also provides a virtualenv-like concept called ‘environments' that installs to %ANACONDAROOT%\envs, but likely changes things in the main installation base as well); this will be needed for it to work well. But the end result is that developers can include an ‘environment.yml’ file that defines a Conda environment, put ‘conda env create’ with appropriate arguments in their setup script, and run against Anaconda.

   Conda includes a file ‘activate.bat’ in its ‘Scripts’ directory that sets up the environment variables for Conda (or a Conda environment); build scripts that make use of Conda can just reference this file.

   A PowerShell version of ‘activate’ is here: https://github.com/Liquidmantis/PSCondaEnvs. I have used this successfully on my own system, but it isn’t yet included in the official Conda distribution.

   Thanks for looking in to this!

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3. Support Staff 3 Posted by Feodor Fitsner on 12 Aug, 2015 07:18 PM

   

   Cool, thanks for detailed instructions. We'll add miniconda installation during the today's deployment.

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4. Support Staff 4 Posted by Feodor Fitsner on 14 Aug, 2015 06:16 PM

   

   Miniconda (all 4 versions) has been deployed to build workers: https://github.com/appveyor/ci/issues/359

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5. 5 Posted by ekstrand on 14 Aug, 2015 06:20 PM

   

   Awesome, thanks!

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6. 6 Posted by m.scherer on 31 Aug, 2015 12:17 AM

   

   Thank you very much! That is really useful

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7. Ilya Finkelshteyn closed this discussion on 25 Aug, 2018 01:59 AM.