Solving environment: failed with current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source. Conda Fails to Create a new env

Question

** Conda Fails to Create a new env: stuck at "Executing transaction"**

I am working with a MacOS, BigSur 11.6, and have updated conda and mamba

conda update --all

conda update mamba

and, following guidance from a software installation guide I tried to create a new env:

conda create -n fermi -c conda-forge -c fermi fermitools python=3 clhep=2.4.4.1

Also tried with the dev version:

conda create -n fermi-2.0.24 -c conda-forge -c fermi/label/dev fermitools=2.0.24

and with mamba

mamba create -n fermi -c conda-forge -c fermi fermitools python=3 clhep=2.4.4.1

All trials get stuck in " executing transaction \ " (> 1h)

when hitting ctrl+c, all trials show the same error msg:

" ERROR conda.core.link:_execute(699): An error occurred while installing package 'conda-forge::gdk-pixbuf-2.42.6-h2e6141f_0'. " " Rolling back transaction: done "

my uname -v:

Darwin Kernel Version 20.6.0: Mon Aug 30 06:12:21 PDT 2021; root:xnu-7195.141.6~3/RELEASE_X86_64

my conda --version

conda 4.10.3

There seems to be a long standing discussion about similar issues here. Some argue that hitting "enter" solved the problem after " executing transaction \ " was running for a long time. It would be great, but did not worked.

The issue #6986 seems to persist and it is not clear how to deal with it.

Any ideas on how to approach this? Thank you in advance!

Deuteragonist

Does conda create -n foo -c conda-forge gdk-pixbuf=2.42.6=h2e6141f_0 work on its own? BTW, I cannot replicate this problem in MacOS 10.14 - everything just works, both from bash and zsh shells. – Jacktar

Hi @merv, thank you for writing. Yes, conda create -n foo -c conda-forge gdk-pixbuf=2.42.6=h2e6141f_0 worked. "To activate this environment, use conda activate foo" . – Deuteragonist

@merv, I tired to conda activate foo , and then conda create -n fermi-2.0.24 -c conda-forge -c fermi/label/dev fermitools=2.0.24 , but the issue remains the same. And when I hit ctrl+c to stop the process, I get the same msg as before: " ERROR conda.core.link:_execute(699): An error occurred while installing package 'conda-forge::gdk-pixbuf-2.42.6-h2e6141f_0'. " " Rolling back transaction: done " – Deuteragonist

But that's not any different from your original command, since you are doing create. Maybe try preinstalling the gdk-pixbuf package, then conda install in that environment. – Jacktar

Hi @merv, thank you again. Now, I created the envs/fermi folder by hand: mkdir /opt/anaconda3/envs/fermi then, preinstall gdk-pixbuf-2.42.6-h2e6141f_0 pack (from conda-forge channel) at envs/fermi. conda install gdk-pixbuf=2.42.6=h2e6141f_0 -c conda-forge -n fermi . Then, I used install instead of create (since env/fermi is already there). conda install -n fermi --file [path]/spec-file.txt, where the spec-file has all dependences solved for MacOS BigSur 11.6 (provided by someone else trying to help with the issue). – Deuteragonist

This time, the process get stuck, and after ctrl+c, got the following msg: Executing transaction: / \ / \ / done ERROR conda.core.link:_execute(699): An error occurred while installing package 'conda-forge::librsvg-2.50.7-hd2a7919_0'. Rolling back transaction: | \ done . Again, I tried to pre-install librsvg=2.50.7=hd2a7919_0 as you mention, and try to run the complete installation again. A second time, it gets stuck, and I also had to pre-install graphviz-2.49.0=h77de9ca_0. A third time, it gets stuck at the same point. But now, when I abort with ctrl+c, there is no error msg. – Deuteragonist

when I conda activate myenv, it goes with no error msg. But, when I try to call routines from myenv, I get 'zsh: command not found: env_routine' – Deuteragonist

Answer 1

Looking for resources on the error " Solving environment: failed with current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source. "

Then, reading: link1 , link2 , link3 (check the comment from "glass-ships") , link4

It seems the following can help:

conda update conda -c conda-canary

conda config --set channel_priority false

conda create --name your_env_name

conda activate your_env_name

conda install XXXXXX

then conda activate your_env_name and the tool is working just fine.

Deuteragonist

not sure i had exactly the same issue, but for me the problem of conda stuck on solving environment when trying to create a new env was apparently due to the fact that i did not activate an environment before that. doing conda activate before conda create solved the issue for me (in my installation the base environment of conda is not activated by default). – Funky

This works great. I had the issue with conda stuck at solving environment for ages and this solved the problem. – Trembles

Answer 2

This is what worked for me. Set the conda channel_priority to flexible in the conda configuration

conda config --set channel_priority flexible

Artificiality