Conda Repo Takes Forever to Load

If you’ve done any work in a virtual environment (ie. conda / env) then you’ve definitely dealt with long wait times just to conda install <something>.
(If you haven’t used Conda, then you need to read <this>, cause you’re making a mess out of your computer)

Here’s what I mean: conda install python==3.10.6 … now that’s a simple command and will download python 3.10.6… AFTER A HOLACIOUSLY LONG wait to find the conda server… and often it will freeze.

Good news! Below is the answer… Libmamba. Type this in your conda command prompt and it will become your new default repository whenever you type “conda install <something>”. This makes things download in seconds.

Easy peasy

pip install libmamba
conda config --set solver libmamba

If you need to move back to the original, then you just type (note some packages require the default):

conda config --set solver default

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you’d like to just use libmamba in the current environment then follow this:

conda install -n base conda-libmamba-solver

That will isolate libmamba for use only in your current environment.

If you need to undo it:

conda config --set solver default