How to download and install Anaconda on Linux
This page provides a detailed guide on how to download and install Anaconda on Linux. Anaconda is a powerful distribution designed for data science and machine learning, providing Python, essential libraries, and package management tools. With this tool, you can easily manage Python environments and packages without requiring extensive system administration skills.
What is Anaconda?
Anaconda is the distribution you need if you want to build Python-based data science and machine learning systems. To run Python locally with all essential scientific libraries, you need the comprehensive package management functionality offered by Anaconda. With Anaconda, you can optimize your development workflow and stay up to date, because managing packages and environments is very easy with this system.
Steps to follow
- Download Anaconda installer
- Make installer executable
- Run the installer
- Accept license and configure installation
- Update shell profile
- Launch Anaconda Navigator
How to download and install Anaconda video
The following video demonstrates how to download and install Anaconda on Linux step-by-step. The video will guide you through the entire process, from downloading the installer to launching Anaconda Navigator.
Step 1 - Download Anaconda installer
Go to the official Anaconda download page. On the download page, click on the "Linux 64-Bit (x86) Installer" to download the installation script for Linux. This downloads a shell script (.sh file) that you'll use to install Anaconda (Figure 1).
Wait for the Anaconda installer to download. The download time will depend on your internet connection speed. The installer file will be saved to your Downloads folder by default (Figure 2).
Step 2 - Make installer executable
Once the download is complete, navigate to your Downloads folder and locate the Anaconda installer file. Right-click on the installer file and select "Properties" to open the file properties dialog (Figure 3).
In the Properties dialog, check the box labeled "Executable as Program" to make the installer script executable. This is necessary to run the installation script on Linux. Close the dialog to save the changes (Figure 4).
Step 3 - Run the installer
Right-click on the installer file and select "Run as a program" (Figure 5).
Step 4 - Accept license and configure installation
The installer will open in a terminal window and display the license agreement. Type "yes" when prompted to accept the license agreement. The installer will then ask you to confirm the installation location. Press Enter to accept the default location in your home directory, or specify a custom path if needed (Figure 6).
The installer will display the chosen installation location and begin extracting and installing packages. Wait for the installation process to complete. This may take several minutes as the installer unpacks and configures all the necessary Python packages and libraries (Figure 7).
Step 5 - Update shell profile
After the installation completes, the installer will ask if you want to initialize Anaconda by running conda init. Type "yes" to automatically configure your shell to use Anaconda. This adds the necessary commands to your shell profile so that you can use conda commands and activate Anaconda environments from the terminal (Figure 8).
Step 6 - Launch Anaconda Navigator
To launch Anaconda Navigator, open a new terminal window. The shell profile changes will take effect in new terminal sessions. Click on your system's terminal application to open a new terminal (Figure 9).
In the terminal, type the command "anaconda-navigator" and press Enter to launch the Anaconda Navigator graphical interface. This may take a moment to start as it initializes the application (Figure 10).
anaconda-navigator
Once Anaconda Navigator opens, you'll see the main interface showing available applications and tools. You are now ready to manage your Python environments, install packages, and launch various data science applications like Jupyter Notebook, Spyder, and more (Figure 11).
To sum it up
You have successfully downloaded and installed Anaconda on Linux. With Anaconda Navigator now running, you can begin creating Python environments, installing packages, and launching data science tools. Anaconda provides a comprehensive platform for managing your Python development workflow on Linux, making it easy to work with scientific libraries and manage multiple project environments without conflicts.