Conda: Remove All Installed Packages from Base/Root Environment

TL:DR: How can I remove all installed packages from base?

I installed a bunch of machine learning packages in my base conda environment.

I've now created a ml environment for machine learning, and wish to reset my base environment by removing all the packages installed there.

I've tried:

% activate base
% conda uninstall -n base --all

CondaEnvironmentError: cannot remove current environment. deactivate and run conda remove again

Apparently, I can't remove packages from the current environment(?!), so lets switch to my ml environment first:

% source activate ml
% conda uninstall -n base --all

CondaEnvironmentError: cannot remove root environment,
       add -n NAME or -p PREFIX option

Orright, I'll use -p then...

% conda uninstall -p ~/.local/share/miniconda3 --all

CondaEnvironmentError: cannot remove root environment,
       add -n NAME or -p PREFIX option

How do I uninstall all installed packages in the base or root environment?

5

Apparently, I can't remove packages from the current environment(?!)

It's not that, but instead that you can't remove the base environment, which is what the --all flag does. You can't uninstall all packages in base because that's where the conda executable lives. Instead, what you want to do is uninstall all user-installed packages.

Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.