How to install a package with Conda

Installing a package into the wrong Conda environment can leave a notebook, script, or command-line tool still missing the dependency. Target the environment explicitly with conda install and --name so the solver updates the project environment instead of whichever environment happens to be active.

conda install resolves the requested package and its dependencies from the configured channels before changing the environment. If no environment is specified, Conda installs into the currently active environment, so naming the target environment is the safer default for repeatable project work.

The package plan can add, update, or downgrade dependencies to satisfy the solve. Review the plan before confirming, use --yes only when the command belongs in a repeatable setup script, and handle any Anaconda channel Terms of Service prompt before rerunning the install.

Steps to install a package with Conda:

Open a terminal where Conda is available.
Confirm that the target environment exists.
```
$ conda env list

# conda environments:
#
base                  /opt/conda
analytics             /opt/conda/envs/analytics
```
Replace analytics with the environment that should receive the package. Create the environment first if it is missing.
Related: How to create a Conda environment

Install the package into the target environment.

$ conda install --name analytics requests --yes
2 channel Terms of Service accepted
Channels:
 - defaults
Platform: linux-aarch64
Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
Solving environment: done

## Package Plan ##

  environment location: /opt/conda/envs/analytics

  added / updated specs:
    - requests

The following NEW packages will be INSTALLED:

  requests           pkgs/main/linux-aarch64::requests-2.34.2-py313hd43f75c_0
##### snipped #####
Preparing transaction: done
Verifying transaction: done
Executing transaction: done

If Conda stops with a CondaToSNonInteractiveError, review the listed channel URLs and either accept the Terms of Service or remove those channels before retrying.

Check the installed package record.

$ conda list --name analytics requests
# packages in environment at /opt/conda/envs/analytics:
#
# Name                     Version          Build            Channel
requests                   2.34.2           py313hd43f75c_0

Run a smoke test inside the environment.
```
$ conda run --name analytics python -c "import requests; print(requests.__version__)"
2.34.2
```
Replace the sample import with the module, command, or notebook dependency that proves the package works for the project.
Related: How to run a command in a Conda environment without activating it

Author: Mohd Shakir Zakaria
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.