Migrate anaconda from python v3.6 to v3.7 and preserve all conda and pip packages

Question

The latest anaconda distribution released on Sep2018 uses python v3.7. My existing anaconda distribution uses python v3.6

I would like to upgrade to this latest distribution which uses python v3.7. When I tried to install from the Windows installation executable file, there is no smooth upgrade. If I were to do a clean reinstall, I will have re-install all the conda and pip packages outside of the standard anaconda distribution that I am currently using.

How can I do an anaconda upgrade while preserving all these conda and pip packages that I am currently using that are out of the standard anaconda distribution?

I tried the following command;

conda list --explicit > environment_backup.txt

environment_backup.txt does not seem to contain the pip packages that I have installed.

I am fine if all the conda and pip packages cannot be preserved during the upgrade. However, I would like to have a convenient way to reinstall these conda and pip packages after the new version has been installed. It will be inconvenient if I have to run conda install XXX or pip install XXX commands individually.

Answer 1

For the pip installed packages, you can similarly freeze your packages in a requirements.txt file and apply them in the new python version:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Or to only freeze local packages

pip freeze -l > requirements.txt

To restore the pip packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Answer 2

conda env exoprt and import are your friends! From the conda docs:

conda env export > environment.yml

And then:

conda create --name myenv --file environment.yml

This does reinstall all packages but you know exactly which ones you had, including pip packages.