[FIXED] How to add anaconda to PATH?

Issue

I downloaded Anaconda on my system (Mac OS), for now solely for the purpose of using Spyder to code in Python. I am having two issues, which are probably easy to solve for someone who is more fit with computers than me. I would be glad for help!

1. Adding anaconda to the PATH or not, and if yes, how?

In this thread here I got help with updating Anaconda and Spyder, since executing the lines conda update anaconda and conda update spyder would result in zsh: command not found. Apparently this has to do with anaconda not being added to my PATH. In that thread I was offered a workaround without adding anaconda to my path. However I would have to run a commandline everytime before I update it.

Now, I fully admit, that I don't even know what it means to add anaconda to my path. And I don't know what are the pros and cons of adding it, or not. But I kind of would like to add it, such that I don't have to look up and run this command line every time when I update. Could someone please explain if I should add anaconda to PATH, and if so, how?

2. Which python distribution is used by what?

I am getting very confused with python distributions on my system.

• In the panel at the bottom of Spyder I see, that it uses Python 3.7.4..
• In the IPython console of Spyder I see that it uses Python 3.7.0.
• If I run python --version in a terminal I get Python 2.7.16
• If I run python3 --version in a terminal I get Python 3.7.3

Why are all these different versions on my system? If I develop a script in Spyder, and then want to run it from the terminal, then I of course would like to run it with the same python interpreter as the one Spyder uses. How can I make sure this is the case? Do I for example run a script named script.py by python script.py, by `python3 script.py´, or by yet another command line?

I am not even sure if python or python3 calls the distributions which came with anaconda, since when I run which python or which python3 I get /usr/bin/python or user /usr/bin/python3, while anaconda is installed in Users/opt/<my_username>/anaconda3/bin.

So if someone could clear the fog here for me please as well, that would be great! : )

Thanks for help!

Solution

A Python v (most of the time 2.x) comes with macOS and you have installed anaconda for the other one version. to check this you can first run this command:

conda env list

if you have installed python2x as a new env it will show up as:

# conda environments:
#
base                  *  /Users/your_user/Applications/anaconda3
py2                      /Users/your_user/Applications/anaconda3/envs/py2

if you only see 'base' (which is for me is anaconda3 so python 3.x) then it says that you had python2.x with your macOS ( or the reverse). Normally the below command shows your default python version:

    python --version
output (for me): Python 3.7.6

Which shows the version you have with your Anaconda. If you want to use the other one, you can either 1) change this by using my answer here: How to set the default python3 to python3.7?

2) or you can add a new "env" to your anaconda environments (if in the above you see only 'base'). The instructions are mentioned here: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html

Answered By - Anya Samadi