Installing Python with Miniforge

You need to download and install the Miniforge distribution from GitHub. Working on Linux over an x86₆₄ architecture, you need to download the latest installation script, which will have a name like Miniforge3-Linux-x86_64.sh, using We are going to install pyenv-win, a small tool to install Python releases and switch between versions of the interpreter. Following the instructions from the web, we will open a PowerShell window and type

$ wget https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge/releases/latest/download/Miniforge3-Linux-x86_64.sh
$ chmod +x Miniforge3-Linux-x86_64.sh
$ ./Miniforge4-Linux-x86_64.sh

These steps will show you some license information. Use q to exit the documentation and say "yes" to the following questions. This will create a very simple package distribution under the directory $HOME/miniforge3, and ideally also activate this minimal environment every time you enter the Linux terminal.

Just to be sure, exit the terminal and update the installation once

$ conda update --all

When working with python software, it is customary to create a unique environment that contains only the libraries and tools the software needs. This allows you as a developer to keep track of the requirements of your software and which versions of the libraries are used, making the process more reproducible for other users and for yourself, should you move to a different computer.

Unlike standard python, Miniforge and conda-based installers keep the environments in some centralized location. This should not discourage from using these temporary environments, ensuring some unique names. In my case, I have a project under myproject which requires Numpy, Scipy and other tools:

$ cd c:\Users\me\src\myproject
$ conda create -n myproject-env python numpy scipy matplotlib-base libblas=*=*mkl

Note the following peculiarities of the Conda-forge packages:

1. Since I am working in a text-based Linux image and do not care about showing graphical plots, I just install matplotlib-base instead of the full package matplotlib.
2. We can select which BLAS library Numpy works with by using any of the following options

conda install "libblas=*=*mkl"
conda install "libblas=*=*openblas"
conda install "libblas=*=*blis"
conda install "libblas=*=*accelerate"
conda install "libblas=*=*netlib"

The previous recommendations still hold, nothing changing: Visual Code will recognize your Miniforge environments and allow you to use the same tools as described in the previous post.