Conda environment name shows entire directory in prompt

Question

When I run:

source activate /anaconda2/envs/myEnv

it shows the entire directory of this conda environment in my prompt (on iterm2) as so:

(/Users/billy/anaconda2/envs/myEnv)billy@mbp:~/projects

Is this a way to shorten this, so that it just shows the name of the conda environment and not the entire directory? For example as:

(myEnv)billy@mbp:~/projects

Thanks.

Pinnate

Answer 1

You can try the following:

Make sure that /anaconda2/envs is listed in the section envs_dirs in the output for the command:

$ conda config --show

If it is not present, you can add it like this:

$ conda config --add envs_dirs /anaconda2/envs

Then, activate the environment like this:

$ source activate myEnv

Example:

(root) ~/condaexpts ❯❯❯ conda create -yp /tmp/miniconda2/myEnv
Fetching package metadata .......
.Solving package specifications: .
Package plan for installation in environment /tmp/miniconda2/myEnv:

The following empty environments will be CREATED:

/tmp/miniconda2/myEnv

#
# To activate this environment, use:
# > source activate /tmp/miniconda2/myEnv
#
# To deactivate this environment, use:
# > source deactivate /tmp/miniconda2/myEnv
#

(root) ~/condaexpts ❯❯❯ conda config --add envs_dirs /tmp/miniconda2
(root) ~/condaexpts ❯❯❯ source activate myEnv
(myEnv) ~/condaexpts ❯❯❯ 

Patmore

The command "conda config --show" shows an error: "conda config: error: one of the arguments --get --add --set --remove --remove-key is required" – Pinnate

@Learnaholic What is the version of conda that you are using? – Patmore

Try updating conda to 4.3.5 and see if the problem persists? – Patmore

Cool thanks, that did it, although upgrading conda also upgraded my python. :-/ – Pinnate

Also, "conda activate myEnv" doesnt work, it says you have to do "source activate myEnv". – Pinnate

This doesn't appear to work anymore in 4.5.11. Even if you add the path to envs_dirs, it still prints the whole path. – Lidialidice

Answer 2

You can set the env_prompt option in the config file, see Specifying a location for an environment.

One option is conda config --set env_prompt '({name})' or you can edit the .condarc in your home directory. Just add env_prompt: '({name})'.

Doralynn