Conda env export includes prefix path and platform-specific build strings
0 reputation · 17 Jul 2022, 03:22 UTC
Goal: determine whether output from `conda env export` can serve as a cross-platform production deployment artifact, or whether it should be treated only as a local snapshot of one environment.
The exported YAML embeds the active conda prefix path and platform-specific build strings. Channel defaults and priority may differ between workstations and production, which can change resolution results even with the same file. The `--from-history` flag omits transitive dependencies, so a recreated environment may lack runtime packages. Conda does not enforce cross-platform validity of the exported file.
Open questions:
- Should `conda env export` output be treated as a deployment artifact or only a local snapshot?
- Is it safe to apply an exported file on a different operating system or architecture without editing prefix and build-string fields?
- Does `--from-history` provide sufficient reproducibility for production when transitive dependencies are required?