If you type Anaconda in your Windows search bar, you will see Anaconda Prompt come up. Before we set it up in Git Bash, it is useful to see what it looks like when you are using conda.Īnaconda and Miniconda come with a program called Anaconda Prompt on Windows, which is essentially just CMD terminal that is pre-set-up for conda. Once Anaconda is downloaded and installed, you will be ready to use conda. Run Anaconda Prompt (skip this section if you are familiar with conda) You can download the installer for Anaconda here.

If you are low on hard drive space, Miniconda is fine - just don’t be surprised by the number of packages you’ll have to install that would be ready out of the box with Anaconda (Pandas, Numpy, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Jupyter, Scikit-learn, etc.). Miniconda is a barebones version of the Anaconda distribution, and is a little less beginner-friendly, coming with only Python, conda, pip, and a couple of dependencies necessary to make them work. Install AnacondaĪlthough Codecademy recommends installing Miniconda, I highly recommend saving some headaches and installing the full version of Anaconda if you have the space on your PC and you are serious about getting into Data Analysis/Data Science. It is used primarily in the Data Science world, but can be used for much, much more.įor a detailed breakdown, read the excellent post by Jake VanderPlas (Software Engineer, Google), Conda: Myths and Misconceptions Instructions 1. In short, conda is a very powerful package manager that excels at managing dependencies and offers an easy way to create and use virtual environments for your projects. (This post assumes you have already installed and used Git Bash previously) What is conda, and why would I want to use it?īefore we dive into the instructions, it’s important to understand a little about conda and how it differs from pip. If you use and enjoy Git Bash and want to take advantage of the power of conda without switching terminals, follow the instructions below to get it up and running. If you’re a Windows user following along with the Data Science or Computer Science career paths on Codecademy (or the Learn Python courses), you may have noticed the recommendation to use Git Bash for your terminal, and the instructions on installing Python via Miniconda, but the lack of guidance on using conda within the Git Bash terminal rather than CMD or Anaconda Prompt.

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