Stuck when setting up to use anaconda with VS Code and Integrated Git terminal

anaconda, bash, conda, git, python

Solution

I have figured out the answer myself and would like to share it here. First of all at the time of writing the question I was using Git Bash as my Terminal in VS Code (am still using it). So the issue was that when I ran the command `conda init bash` in Git Bash or the VS Code Terminal, Conda just basically put the command used for activating Conda environments in the .bash_profile since it is sourced during logging into Bash. But the integrated Terminal in VS Code is a subshell of a Git Bash session. That is why `.bash_profile` is NOT sourced in VS Code since `.bash_profile` is only sourced during the main Bash session. The `.bashrc` file is the file that is sourced when creating a Terminal session in VS Code. So what you actually need to do is take the code that is put into `.bash_profile` by `conda init bash` and paste it into your `.bashrc` file and make the `.bash_profile` source that `.bashrc` file automatically.

So, to sum up, using `conda init bash` will put the conda command in the `.bash_profile` and it is usually sourced by Git Bash, but VS Code Git Bash terminal will use `.bashrc`.

So you can just cut and paste the code from `.bash_profile` to `.bashrc` (as already mentioned) or if you want, just simply follow this: put this code in your `.bash_profile`:

if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
    source ~/.bashrc
fi

And in your `.bashrc`, put this code:

# >>> conda initialize >>>
# !! Contents within this block are managed by 'conda init' !!
eval "$('{path_to_your_conda.exe}' 'shell.bash' 'hook')"
# <<< conda initialize <<<
# You can get conda.exe path by using `which conda` in Git Bash

Now, when you open up a Git Bash session in VS Code Terminal, you can use `conda activate env_name` to activate any environments you have.

Everything is now supposed to work as expected in VS Code terminal but I would like to further elaborate about something. If you want, you can skip the `conda init bash` process (NOT recommended, just read on for additional knowledge but please follow the above steps only). This is a feature that was introduced in conda `4.4.0`. Till then the way of activating conda environments was by using `source activate` but that command was NOT cross-platform, meaning that the command could not be used in OSes like Windows. So they made this change by introducing commands like: `conda activate env_name` so that conda environments become much easier to use despite the OS platform.

`conda activate` also has other advantages. This is directly from their release docs:

conda activate: The logic and mechanisms underlying environment activation have been reworked. With conda 4.4, conda activate and conda deactivate are now the preferred commands for activating and deactivating environments. You'll find they are much more snappy than the source activate and source deactivate commands from previous conda versions. The conda activate command also has advantages of (1) being universal across all OSes, shells, and platforms, and (2) not having path collisions with scripts from other packages like Python virtualenv's activate script.

I used this question as a reference. Check it out to learn more.

Having said that, using `source activate env_name` will still work if you are using Git Bash, even in VS Code Git Bash terminal. `source activate env_name` requires no prior set up or config. But it is highly recommended that you only use `conda init` to set everything up and then use `conda activate env_name`.

[NOTE]: Locating and modifying the said `.bashrc` and `.bash_profile` on Windows is usually not as simple as it is on Linux. But can be done fairly easily like this:

It goes without saying but, you should have Git Bash installed. Having Git Bash installed should, as far as I know, automatically create `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile` or maybe both. These files are called "dotfiles" (since they start with a dot) and these are by default hidden on most OSes and definitely on Windows. If they were auto-created by Git Bash on your system, it is most likely that they are placed in your home directory. Home directory on Windows is `C:\Users\<you>\`. With that said, follow this:

- Open Git Bash and go to your home directory with: `cd`. Just type this and you will be in your home directory

- Enter this command: `ls -a` and you will see all your files, even hidden ones. Look for `.bash_profile` and `.bashrc`. Both should be present. If they are, you are ready to follow the above instructions. But if one is not there or if both are missing create them using: `touch .bashrc && touch .bash_profile`. You should now see these files when you again type: `ls -a`

- That's it. Now that you have your `.bashrc` and `.bash_profile`, you can follow the above instructions. Also, to access these two files quicker, open them like this with VS Code: `code ~/.bashrc` or `code ~/.bash_profile`. Now, modify these two files as per the instructions.

In the question, I have also talked about VS Code activating Conda environments automatically. There's no issue with VS Code doing that since this is the default behavior. I misinterpreted that as something that's an issue. But if anyone was looking to stop VS Code from automatically doing that, I would recommend trying to set this in the user settings:

`"python.terminal.activateEnvironment": false`

Problem

Original source

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