[FIXED] Can't install python packages for a conda environment

Issue

I could use some clarification regarding anaconda envs and the installed packages. I have just began using environments other than the base to keep my installations clean.

I just deleted my anaconda3 folder, installed it from scratch, made a new environment and tried to run a jupyter-notebook.

When reading excel via pandas I get the error Missing optional dependency 'xlrd' prompting me to install xlrd via conda or pip.

So I open the terminal, activate the env I’m working in and install it using conda. I close the JN from the terminal, reopen it and run the same code. The problem persists.

I repeat the procedure, this time indicating the name of the env at the end. Problem persists.

I checked which python in the terminal, it is indeed the anaconda3/envs/newenv/bin/python

I do the same (in the new env) using pip. I use the command .../anaconda3/envs/newenv/bin/python -m pip install xlrd. I get the message Requirement already satisfied: xlrd in ./anaconda3/envs/newenv/lib/python3.7/site-packages (1.2.0).

I even tried installing the package inside the notebook using !conda install xlrd, still I get the same error.

Finally, I open Jupyter via the base env, and the package works there perfectly.

I have no idea why I can’t install this under the newenv, which was the point of having local envs after all.

Thanks heaps for your help!

Solution

You need to install the kernel in Jupyter to be able to use it.

jupyter kernelspec list

That command will give you the list of kernels you have. I am assuming it only shows you Python3

You will now need to install a kernel. Remember to do this while inside your virtual environment

python3 -m pip install ipykernel
python3 -m ipykernel install --user --name <your-new-kernel-name>

You should now see this in Jupyter notebook. Select the kernel in Jupyter and you should be good to go.

Another thing you may want to try is to install Jupyter while inside your virtual environment. While inside your virtual environment, you could do:

python3 -m pip install jupyter lab

and then while still inside your virtual environment, run jupyter after checking which jupyter. It should solve your problem as well.

Answered By - Rahul P