I’m new to Conda package management and I want to get the latest version of Python to use f-strings in my code. Currently my version is (python -V):

Python 3.5.2 :: Anaconda 4.2.0 (x86_64)

How would I upgrade to Python 3.6?

Anaconda has not updated python internally to 3.6.

a) Method 1

1. If you wanted to update you will type conda update python
2. To update anaconda type conda update anaconda

3. If you want to upgrade between major python version like 3.5 to 3.6, you’ll have to do

   conda install python=$pythonversion$
   

b) Method 2 – Create a new environment (Better Method)

conda create --name py36 python=3.6

c) To get the absolute latest python(3.6.5 at time of writing)

conda create --name py365 python=3.6.5 --channel conda-forge

You can see all this from here

Also, refer to this for force upgrading

EDIT: Anaconda now has a Python 3.6 version here

Creating a new environment will install python 3.6:

$ conda create --name 3point6 python=3.6
Fetching package metadata .......
Solving package specifications: ..........

Package plan for installation in environment /Users/dstansby/miniconda3/envs/3point6:

The following NEW packages will be INSTALLED:

    openssl:    1.0.2j-0     
    pip:        9.0.1-py36_1 
    python:     3.6.0-0      
    readline:   6.2-2        
    setuptools: 27.2.0-py36_0
    sqlite:     3.13.0-0     
    tk:         8.5.18-0     
    wheel:      0.29.0-py36_0
    xz:         5.2.2-1      
    zlib:       1.2.8-3 

I found this page with detailed instructions to upgrade Anaconda to a major newer version of Python (from Anaconda 4.0+). First,

conda update conda
conda remove argcomplete conda-manager

I also had to conda remove some packages not on the official list:

• backports_abc
• beautiful-soup
• blaze-core

Depending on packages installed on your system, you may get additional UnsatisfiableError errors – simply add those packages to the remove list. Next, install the version of Python,

conda install python==3.6

which takes a while, after which a message indicated to conda install anaconda-client, so I did

conda install anaconda-client

which said it’s already there. Finally, following the directions,

conda update anaconda

I did this in the Windows 10 command prompt, but things should be similar in Mac OS X.

In the past, I have found it quite difficult to try to upgrade in-place.

Note: my use-case for Anaconda is as an all-in-one Python environment. I don’t bother with separate virtual environments. If you’re using conda to create environments, this may be destructive because conda creates environments with hard-links inside your Anaconda/envs directory.

So if you use environments, you may first want to export your environments. After activating your environment, do something like:

conda env export > environment.yml

After backing up your environments (if necessary), you may remove your old Anaconda (it’s very simple to uninstall Anaconda):

$ rm -rf ~/anaconda3/

and replace it by downloading the new Anaconda, e.g. Linux, 64 bit:

$ cd ~/Downloads
$ wget https://repo.continuum.io/archive/Anaconda3-4.3.0-Linux-x86_64.sh 

(see here for a more recent one),

and then executing it:

$ bash Anaconda3-4.3.0-Linux-x86_64.sh 

I’m using a Mac OS Mojave

These 4 steps worked for me.

1. conda update conda
2. conda install python=3.6
3. conda install anaconda-client
4. conda update anaconda

Best method I found:

source activate old_env
conda env export > old_env.yml

Then process it with something like this:

with open('old_env.yml', 'r') as fin, open('new_env.yml', 'w') as fout:
    for line in fin:
        if 'py35' in line:  # replace by the version you want to supersede
            line = line[:line.rfind('=')] + '\n'
        fout.write(line)

then edit manually the first (name: ...) and last line (prefix: ...) to reflect your new environment name and run:

conda env create -f new_env.yml

you might need to remove or change manually the version pin of a few packages for which which the pinned version from old_env is found incompatible or missing for the new python version.

I wish there was a built-in, easier way…