In order to use Anaconda’s default channels to install and update packages, you must accept Anaconda’s Terms of Service (TOS). Channels other than Anaconda’s channels may require a TOS acceptance as well. Anaconda has built a plugin that makes viewing and accepting a channel’s TOS more straightforward and transparent to anyone who prefers to use conda at the command line (conda-anaconda-tos).

conda-anaconda-tos augments the existing conda workflow by automatically prompting you to accept the TOS for a given channel when necessary. conda-anaconda-tos is triggered any time you run a conda command that interacts with channels (e.g., using conda create, conda search, conda install, etc.), but is meant to be unobtrusive to your work.

For more information on conda-anaconda-tos, see the plugin’s GitHub repository.

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Installing conda-anaconda-tos

You can find conda-anaconda-tos in your (base) environment. If you’re unsure if you have conda-anaconda-tos in your (base) environment, you can check by running the following command:

conda list --name base conda-anaconda-tos

If necessary, install conda-anaconda-tos into your (base) environment by running the following command:

conda install --name base conda-anaconda-tos

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An example user interaction

Let’s assume you’ve recently installed the latest version of Miniconda and want to create an environment to install the package pandas. Your command might look like:

conda create --name pandas-env pandas

With no additional configurations, conda searches the following channels by default:

• https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
• https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
• https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2

conda-anaconda-tos gathers all of the channels in your .condarc file and reviews them to see if they require you to accept a TOS to use them. For each channel that requires a TOS, you will see:

    Gathering channels...
    Reviewing channels...
    Do you accept the Terms of Service (ToS) for https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main?
    [(a)ccept/(r)eject/(v)iew]:

• Enter a to accept the TOS.
• Enter r to reject the TOS.
• Enter v to display a link to a website that contains the TOS you’re being asked to accept.

Whether you accept or reject a TOS, conda will ask you about the next channel, if any, that requires a TOS acceptance. Once you have accepted all required TOS, conda can be used as normal.

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Removing a channel with a rejected TOS

Rejecting a channel’s TOS prevents conda from searching for, installing, or updating packages from that channel.

To prevent unnecessary errors from generating after you have rejected the TOS for a channel, remove it from your channels list:

# Replace <CHANNEL> with the name/URL of your channel
conda config --remove channels <CHANNEL>

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Using conda tos commands

While conda-anaconda-tos automatically prompts you when a channel’s TOS needs an acceptance, the plugin also has its own set of commands for viewing and managing TOS for the channels listed in your .condarc and/or any other channels that you specify:

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Viewing all command options

View all possible command options:

conda tos --help

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Displaying your TOS table

Display a table of your channels and any TOS required by them:

conda tos

This command returns a table that displays:

• A list of all your channels. This includes defaults and the channels in your channels: list.
• For any channels that have a TOS, a timestamp for when each TOS was last updated (see Version column).
• The TOS acceptance status. If rejected, the column will display rejected. If accepted, the column will display a timestamp for when the acceptance occurred (see Accepted column).

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Managing TOS for all channels

By default, the conda-anaconda-tos plugin displays, accepts, and rejects the TOSes of all channels specified in the defaults and channels: lists in your .condarc file.

Display website URL links to view the text of all applicable TOS:

conda tos view

Accept all TOS for all channels:

conda tos accept

Reject all TOS for all channels:

conda tos reject

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Managing TOS per channel

View, accept, or reject the TOS for a specific channel by running a variation of the following command:

# Replace <COMMAND> with a command option (view, accept, reject)
# Replace <CHANNEL> with the channel name/URL you want to specify
conda tos <COMMAND> --override-channels --channel <CHANNEL>

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CI/CD Environments

In CI/CD environments (detected via CI=true), the plugin will automatically accept Terms of Service and print a warning message. This ensures automated builds don’t get blocked waiting for user input.

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Docker in CI/CD Environments

When using Anaconda’s Docker images in continuous integration systems, the CI environment variable might not be automatically passed to the container, which can lead to unexpected ToS prompts during your CI/CD workflows.

We recommend passing the CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS environment variable to Docker or explicitly accepting the ToS by running conda tos accept:

• Pass the CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS environment variable to Docker using the Docker CLI:

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  docker run \
    -e CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS=true \
    continuumio/anaconda3 \
    bash -c "conda install some-package"
  

• Explicitly accept ToS in your Docker command using the Docker CLI:

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  docker run \
    continuumio/anaconda3 \
    bash -c "conda tos accept && conda install some-package"
  

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Docker Containers in GitHub Actions

Similarly, when using Docker containers in GitHub Actions, the CI environment variable will not be automatically passed.

• Pass the CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS environment variable to Docker:

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  jobs:
    build:
      runs-on: ubuntu-latest
      container:
        image: continuumio/anaconda3
      env:
        CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS: true
      steps:
        - uses: actions/checkout@v3
        - name: Install Packages
          run: conda install ...
  

• Explicitly accept ToS in your Docker command:

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  jobs:
    build:
      runs-on: ubuntu-latest
      container:
        image: continuumio/anaconda3
      steps:
        - uses: actions/checkout@v3
        - name: Accept ToS
          run: conda tos accept
        - name: Install Packages
          run: conda install ...
  

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Troubleshooting

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CI/CD workflows erroring

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Problem

The conda-anaconda-tos plugin currently detects CI/CD environments by looking for CI=true, in order to automatically accept TOS and not cause the workflow to hang while waiting for user input.

CI systems that do not leverage the CI=true flag are currently experiencing errors because the plugin is waiting for user input to accept TOS. This issue is actively being worked on.

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Solution

You can configure auto acceptance of TOS in the following ways:

• Configure ToS auto acceptance in your .condarc file:

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  plugins:
    auto_accept_tos: true
  

• Use the command-line flag (conda >= 25.5.0):

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  conda config --set plugins.auto_accept_tos yes
  

• Set the environment variable:

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  export CONDA_PLUGINS_AUTO_ACCEPT_TOS=yes
  

For more information on accepting TOS in your Docker containers, see CI/CD Environments above.

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Being prompted to re-accept a TOS

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Problem

There is a known issue with conda-anaconda-tos where you might be prompted to re-accept a TOS you have already accepted after updating conda. This happens because the plugin currently treats package updates the same as uninstalls for security reasons. If you update your conda environment with conda update -n base --all, the plugin clears your TOS acceptance record as a precaution and you will be prompted again to accept the TOS, when applicable.

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Solution

Re-accept any TOS prompts you receive.

While we’re working on a more refined approach to this issue, this ensures you’re always properly consented to use Anaconda’s ToS-governed resources. This behavior will be improved in future releases.

conda tos clean --all