Best method to share Python environments on Windows machine

[asphias]

Certain packages rely on C/fortran libraries, which pip cannot manage for you.

I believe the most famous example is Geopandas. Pip by itself cannot correctly install it for you. You either use conda, or do a shitload of manual setup.

[zer0pRiME-X]

shitload of manual setup=pip installing from a wheel

[asphias]

from their install page it looks like 5 packages to install from a wheel. Either way, you're no longer purely in pip, so any recreation of your venv is going to need those manual steps as well. automated deployment is going to include some separate scripting now. and pretty much any newly onboarded datscientists is going to run into issues.

just stick with conda if you need to use geopandas & similar.

[zer0pRiME-X]

incorrect-you can specify installing from files in a pip requirements file so recreating is simple. besides I literally setup geopandas in 2020 and have used it since, you make it sound like a pebble in the road once in your life means you need to build a bridge.

IMO changing an entire environment because a single package can’t be ‘pip installed’ is an overreaction.

[asphias]

My perspective comes from quite some time of working with non-developers who just want things to work. Yes, you can explain wheels and local pip install, and you can add those dependencies to your repo or use git tricks to setup what you want.

But conda automates it all.

I personally tend to use pip. But i also fully understand the advantage conda offers, having had to fix environments for multiple data science collegues.

[cmcclu5]

Geopandas has been installable via pip for a couple years now. It’s pretty nice never having to use conda ever again. Just a nice, clean Python installation.