conda-workspaces 0.1.0

Project-scoped multi-environment workspace management for conda, with pixi compatibility

conda-workspaces

Project-scoped multi-environment workspace management for conda, with pixi manifest compatibility.

Define environments in your project manifest, compose them from reusable features, and let conda handle the solving and installation. Works with existing pixi manifests -- no new package manager required.

Quick start

Create a conda.toml in your project root:

[workspace]
name = "my-project"
channels = ["conda-forge"]
platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "win-64"]

[dependencies]
python = ">=3.10"
numpy = ">=1.24"

[feature.test.dependencies]
pytest = ">=8.0"
pytest-cov = ">=4.0"

[environments]
default = { solve-group = "default" }
test = { features = ["test"], solve-group = "default" }

Install and manage your environments:

$ cw install           # solve + install + generate conda.lock
$ cw run -e test -- pytest
$ cw list
$ cw install --locked  # reproducible install from conda.lock

Why?

Conda handles environments and packages. pixi introduced a great project manifest format with multi-environment workspaces, but it brings its own solver and environment management.

conda-workspaces reads pixi-compatible manifests and delegates solving and installation to conda's own infrastructure. You get workspace management inside the conda CLI without switching tools.

What it does

• Reads pixi.toml, conda.toml, and pyproject.toml workspace manifests
• Multi-environment support with composable features
• Project-local environments in .conda/envs/
• Lockfile generation (conda.lock) in rattler-lock v6 format for reproducible installs
• Solve-groups for version consistency across environments
• Per-platform dependency overrides via [target.<platform>]
• PyPI dependency parsing (delegated to conda-pypi)
• Standalone cw CLI and conda workspace plugin subcommand

Installation

conda install -c conda-forge conda-workspaces

CLI

conda-workspaces registers as conda workspace and provides cw as a standalone shortcut.

Command	Description
cw init	Initialize a new workspace manifest
cw install	Create/update workspace environments
cw install --locked	Install from lockfile (skip solving)
cw lock	Generate/update conda.lock
cw list	List defined environments
cw info [ENV]	Show environment details
cw add SPECS...	Add dependencies
cw remove SPECS...	Remove dependencies
cw run -e ENV -- CMD	Run a command in an environment
cw shell [ENV]	Spawn a shell with an environment activated
cw activate [ENV]	Print activation instructions
cw clean	Remove installed environments

What it doesn't do

conda-workspaces is a workspace manager, not a package manager replacement. It does not bundle its own solver or bypass conda's installation machinery. If you want a fully integrated tool that handles both, see pixi.

Documentation

https://conda-incubator.github.io/conda-workspaces/

Development

pixi install
pixi run test
pixi run lint

Acknowledgements

The workspace and manifest system in conda-workspaces is directly inspired by the work of the prefix.dev team on pixi. Their design of workspace manifests, features, environments, and platform targeting provided the blueprint for this plugin.

License

BSD 3-Clause. See LICENSE.