Allow solving for different platforms

[habemus-papadum]

Hi --
I currently use anaconda-project to maintain repeatable cross platform environments, but it has complexity that isn't really needed for my use case and I would like to consider alternatives such as conda-devenv -- in particular conditioning packages based on platform would be extremely useful.

The one really useful thing about anaconda-project is that it knows how to solve environments for multiple platforms at once, independent of the host platform.

If would be useful to be able to run conda-devenv in a mode in which is renders fully solved environment files for a given platform (which then would be checked into version control or just used to verify that the environments are actually solvable)

best, nehal

[nicoddemus]

Hi @habemus-papadum,

You mean for conda-devenv to get a file like this:

name: env
dependencies:
  - pip:
    - sphinx
  - gxx_linux-64=7.3.0  # [linux]
  - ccache              # [unix]
  - clcache             # [win]

And output a new yaml file with all dependencies and versions pinned, IOW, fully solved?

[habemus-papadum]

exactly (and the yaml template you provided covers the cases I am interested in (pip & platform based customization). The reason for emitting fully solved yamls is that it simplifies & speeds up deployment to the cloud and helps support repeatability. The thing I haven't figured out is how anaconda-project does the cross platform solve.

[prusse-martin]

Note that the environment variables defined in the env.devenv.yml file are saved inside the conda environment and not present in the rendered env.yml.

[habemus-papadum]

@prusse-martin good point. Also, it seems unlikely that the pip section could be handled in any sort of cross platform way