> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://anaconda.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installing the anaconda metapackage

The `anaconda` metapackage is a version-locked collection of the packages included in an Anaconda Distribution installer. Each version of the metapackage corresponds to a specific installer release, so installing a metapackage version recreates the package set from that release. This makes the metapackage a tool for reproducibility: if your code behaves differently between releases of Anaconda Distribution, you can recreate the environment from a specific release to debug the difference.

To recreate the package set from a specific installer release, run the following command:

```sh theme={null}
conda create --name anaconda-<VERSION> anaconda=<VERSION>
```

Comments

Replace \<VERSION> with the Anaconda Distribution release version you want to reproduce, such as `2023.07`.

You can also use the metapackage to get the package set from a release with a different version of Python. Anaconda Distribution installers are each built for a single Python version, but the metapackage lets you override it:

```sh theme={null}
conda create --name anaconda-<VERSION> anaconda=<VERSION> python=<PYTHON_VERSION>
```

Comments

Replace \<PYTHON\_VERSION> with the Python version you want to use, such as `3.11`.

Version-locked packages (also called pinned packages) are tied to a specific version of their software. Conda does not update pinned packages when resolving dependencies if other packages in the environment are added or modified. Because each package in the metapackage is pinned, *any attempt to update the environment will almost certainly result in build conflicts*.

However, it is still possible to install the `anaconda` metapackage and update the environment that contains it. For more information, see [Updating a metapackage environment](#updating-a-metapackage-environment).

> [!NOTE]
>
> The `anaconda` metapackage was removed from Anaconda Distribution installers in February of 2023 and no longer appears in your `base` environment by default.

## Installing the metapackage

Installing the `anaconda` metapackage requires conda. If you do not have conda installed, [find an install guide for your OS](https://anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/installation.md).

If you plan to install the `anaconda` metapackage, Anaconda recommends that you create an environment specifically for that metapackage first:

1. Open Anaconda Prompt (A command-line application included with Windows installations of Anaconda Distribution and Miniconda. Find it by searching 'Anaconda Prompt' in the Windows Start menu.) (Terminal on macOS/Linux).

2. Create a new environment by running the following command:

   ```sh theme={null}
   conda create --name <ENV>
   ```

   Comments

   Replace \<ENV> with the name of your environment.

3. (Optional) Search for metapackage versions available for install by running the following command:

   ```sh theme={null}
   conda search anaconda
   ```

4. Install the `anaconda` metapackage or specify a metapackage version by running one of the following commands:

   > [tab] Latest version
   >
   > ```sh theme={null}
   > conda install anaconda
   > ```

   > [tab] Specific version
   >
   > ```sh theme={null}
   > conda install anaconda=<VERSION>
   > ```
   >
   > Comments
   >
   > Replace \<VERSION> with the specific version you want to install.

If you want the Anaconda Distribution package set without version pins, install the `_anaconda_depends` package instead of the `anaconda` metapackage:

```sh theme={null}
conda install _anaconda_depends
```

The `_anaconda_depends` package references the same packages as the metapackage but does not pin their versions, so you can freely install and update packages in the environment. Anaconda Distribution installers include `_anaconda_depends` in the `base` environment for this reason.

## Updating a metapackage environment

If you have an environment containing the `anaconda` metapackage and need to update packages in that environment, you must first unpin the package versions in your environment. This is accomplished by installing the `anaconda=custom` version of the metapackage:

1. Open Anaconda Prompt (A command-line application included with Windows installations of Anaconda Distribution and Miniconda. Find it by searching 'Anaconda Prompt' in the Windows Start menu.) (Terminal on macOS/Linux).

2. Open the environment containing the metapackage you want to update:

   ```sh theme={null}
   conda activate <ENV>
   ```

   Comments

   Replace \<ENV> with the name of your metapackage environment.

3. Install the custom version of the `anaconda` package using the following command:

   ```sh theme={null}
   conda install anaconda=custom
   ```

4. Install or update packages as necessary.

   For more information on managing packages, see [Managing packages](https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/stable/user-guide/tasks/manage-pkgs.html) in the conda documentation.

Troubleshoot

### `conda update anaconda` command does not install the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage

***

<details>
  <summary>Cause</summary>

  > [!NOTE]
  >
  > The `anaconda` metapackage was removed from Anaconda Distribution installers in February of 2023 and no longer appears in your `base` environment by default. This troubleshooting topic assumes you are working with package incompatibilities in an environment containing the `anaconda` metapackage.

  If you have installed packages that are incompatible with the latest version of the Anaconda metapackage, running `conda update anaconda` updates the Anaconda metapackage to the latest compatible version. Keep in mind this might not be the latest version.
</details>

***

<details>
  <summary>Solution</summary>

  1. Obtain a list of the conflicting packages by running `conda update anaconda` or `conda install anaconda=2023.07`.

     > [!NOTE]
     >
     > Replace `2023.07` with the latest version number.

  2. Enter `n` to cancel the installation or update.

  3. Once you know which packages are conflicting, you can:
     * update all current packages without upgrading to the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage, or
     * remove the conflicting packages and then upgrade to the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage.

  To update all current packages without upgrading to the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage:

  1. Remove the `anaconda` metapackage itself by running the following command:

     ```sh theme={null}
     conda remove anaconda
     ```
  2. Update all currently installed packages by running the following command:

     ```sh theme={null}
     conda update --all
     ```

  To remove the conflicting packages and upgrade to the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage:

  1. Remove the conflicting packages by running the following command for each one:

     ```sh theme={null}
     conda remove <PACKAGE>
     ```
  2. Update to the latest version of the `anaconda` metapackage:

     ```sh theme={null}
     conda update anaconda
     ```
</details>