Python

A full version of Anaconda is installed for all users by default, which comes with Python 3.7.3 along with a variety of default packages. If users only require basic python, this should be sufficient to use. However, if users wish to install and use specific python packages beyond this (or even different versions of python/R/etc, see R section), we highly recommend doing so within a self-contained conda virtual environment.

Anaconda includes the tool conda, which we can make use of to create our own environments. An environment isolates software from other dependencies installed on the system and allows multiple versions of software to be installed an run side-by-side. This is useful if you want to test new versions of software, have older scripts that rely on specific versions or if you are doing development work.

Check out the conda workflow.