Configuration#

conda settings#

conda-self registers one custom setting via conda’s conda_settings plugin hook.

plugins.self_permanent_packages#

A list of package names protected from conda self remove and retained by the current and installer-updated reset modes. Exact snapshot modes restore the packages recorded in the snapshot and may remove configured permanent packages that are absent from it.

Configure in .condarc:

plugins:
  self_permanent_packages:
    - pip
    - setuptools

The current and installer-updated reset modes retain these packages and their dependencies alongside conda, conda-self, installed conda plugins, and their dependencies. conda self remove refuses to remove a configured permanent package or one of its dependencies unless --force is passed.

Snapshot files#

Snapshots are stored in the base environment’s conda-meta/ directory and use conda’s explicit format. Each file contains an @EXPLICIT marker followed by complete package URLs.

File	Created by	Purpose
`base-protection-state.explicit.txt`	`conda doctor -n base base-protection --fix`	Pre-protection state when export succeeds
`initial-state.explicit.txt`	Installer (e.g. Miniforge)	Original installer state

These files are used by conda self reset --snapshot <type> to restore base without running the solver. base-protection and installer-exact reuse an installed package only when its package URL and any checksum match the corresponding values in the snapshot. installer-updated uses initial-state.explicit.txt only to select the installed conda package names to retain. It does not update packages or install missing packages.

Constants#

Constant	Value	Description
`DEFAULT_ENV_NAME`	`"default"`	Name of the environment created when cloning base
`RESET_FILE_BASE_PROTECTION`	`"base-protection-state.explicit.txt"`	Snapshot filename for base protection
`RESET_FILE_INSTALLER`	`"initial-state.explicit.txt"`	Snapshot filename from installer
`SELF_PERMANENT_PACKAGES_SETTING`	`"self_permanent_packages"`	Name of the condarc setting

Environment variables#

conda-self does not define its own environment variables. It respects all standard conda environment variables, including:

CONDA_CHANNELS: Override configured channels for plugin installation.
CONDA_DRY_RUN: Enable dry-run mode for all operations.
CONDA_JSON: Enable JSON output for all operations.