Conda

Conda#

Conda will in this context be used to describe a conda command provider. The programs listed here, all provide this conda command, which it-self enables the installation and environment management commands required for a seamless usage of open-source software.

When people refer to Conda, some mean Miniconda, others Anaconda, and some even Miniforge. However, generally users do not care if the conda provider is one or the other.

Similarly, when software recommends one or the other, it will likely still be installable by using any of the other providers. So please select the provider once, and adapt installation procedures as noted in the below sections.

Anaconda#

Danger

Anaconda installations default to download content from a channel that is licensed, i.e. not free!

The terms of service has this small snippet (as of July 2025):

(1) you are an individual that is using the Platform for your own personal, non-commercial purposes;

(2) you are using the Platform on behalf of or in association with an Eligible Academic Institution (as defined in our Academic Policy and conditioned upon your acceptance of the Academic End User License Agreement);

(3) you are using the Platform on behalf of or in association with an Eligible Non-Profit and Research Organization (as defined in our Non-Profit and Research Policy); or

(4) you are using the Platform on behalf of a for-profit organization with 200 or fewer total employees or contractors (including all Affiliates).

Anaconda reserves the right to request proof of verification of your eligibility status for free usage from you.

DTU does not recommend the installation of Anaconda.

Instead please follow the installation instructions here which will ensure that you are using Miniforge that only installs packages from the conda-forge channel, which is free.

Miniconda#

While Miniconda is hosted, and maintained by the Anaconda company, it can be used in a free form by changing the default channel to conda-forge.

Danger

One will have to change the default channel just after installation to ensure no terms of service violation.

Since July 2025, Anaconda has changed its approach to enforcing the license terms of service. We there do not recommend installing Miniconda either.

If you still want to use Miniconda, here is a one-time change that defaults the installation sources to the correct tree.

conda config --add channels conda-forge
conda config --remove channels defaults

Attention

Please be aware of installation instructions that install packages from the Anaconda channels. If in doubt, feel free to contact us.

Miniforge#

This conda provider defaults to not use any Anaconda channels, and will thus be the easiest one to ensure no license violations.

This is the conda provider that our guides will install for you. It is not under any license terms and can be used for teaching and/or commercial use.

Students#

In general students can freely install and use the Anaconda software stack.

A student should, however, still be aware of the limitations of the above policy. For instance, if the student is hired in a company with more than 200 employees, then the company is responsible for obeying the license.

Additionally, if a student creates work that is used in a DTU research project, it is not fully clear how the interpretation should be. When a student has signed a G-declaration then one could interpret the developed software/research as a work from DTU.

Therefore, for simplicity, and to be future proof, we ask that you, as a student, follow the same guidelines as DTU employees.