Conda Installation on Apple Silicon Mac: Simplified Step-by-Step Instructions

Conda is a powerful package manager and environment creator widely used in data science and scientific computing. Here’s how to install it on your Apple Silicon Mac:

Choosing the Right Installer:

Miniconda: A smaller, focused option for package management. Great for new users.
Anaconda: Includes Miniconda and pre-selected scientific packages, perfect for immediate development.

Download the Installer:

1. Visit the conda website: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/install/macos.html

2. Under “Download the installer,” choose either Miniconda or Anaconda.

3. Crucially, select the Apple Silicon (“Apple M1 64-bit pkg”) version under “Platform.”

4. Or directly you can download from below link:

https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-arm64.pkg

Installation Steps:

Double-click the downloaded .pkg file.
Follow the on-screen prompts. Accept the defaults if unsure (you can customize later).

Post-Installation Setup:

Open a new terminal window (changes won’t apply to the current one).
Verify the installation with conda list. You should see a list of installed packages.

Creating a Python 3.10 Environment with conda on Apple Silicon Mac

1. Open a terminal window.

2. Create a new environment named myenv with Python 3.10:

conda create -n myenv python=3.10

3. Activate the newly created environment:

conda activate myenv

4. Verify the Python version:

python --version

5. Expected output :

Python 3.10.x

6. Deactivate the environment:

conda deactivate

Troubleshooting:

If you encounter issues, refer to the conda documentation:

https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/install/macos.html

Additional Tips:

Create isolated environments for different projects with conda create.
Install specific packages with conda install <package_name>.
Consult the conda documentation for advanced usage and configuration:https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/

By following these steps and using the provided commands, you’ll have conda up and running on your Apple Silicon Mac, ready to manage your packages effectively!