Repository navigation
[Doc]: change to install from conda forge #24421
Description
Documentation Link
https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/
Problem
Our install instructions say to install from conda, but conda's version of matplotlib isn't always the latest. For example:
But this won't work because the latest version of matplotlib on conda is 3.5.3, which is not obvious unless you know to look at the page.
Suggested improvement
Maybe we should change it to conda install -c conda-forge matplotlib since we can ensure that will work?
Reacted by Melissa Weber Mendonça
Activity
dopplershift commentedon Nov 10, 2022
That would make sense since we have control over what's available from
conda-forge, whereas conda'sdefaultschannel (and Anaconda) are outside our control.timhoffm commentedon Nov 11, 2022
I'm +0.2 on this.
The downside is that users who don't know what channels are, are more likely to use the main channel because it's the default. Then, blindly copying the conda-forge install leads to a mixed environment. People who are on conda forge are more likely to know what a channel is and can adapt the call. OTOH there may be enough blind copy-pasting including
-c conda-forgefrom other places that some people without channel-knowledge get the correct version by going toconda-forge.What are others doing:
conda install scipyconda install pandashere and has a very unhelpful additional Download Anacondastory645 commentedon Nov 11, 2022
So another option we can do that's bulkier but probably more 'correct' is keep
conda install matplotlibbut add something to the conda install tab about conda not always having the most updated matplotlib and then they can install from conda-forge (with a link to their page so they can explain what they are) andconda install -c conda-forgeEdit: we kinda do that in the see more https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/users/installing/index.html#third-party-distributions
ianthomas23 commentedon Nov 12, 2022
There is an internal Anaconda process for requesting a package build on
defaultschannel. I'll request a build of 3.6.2 and we can see how long it takes. In future someone could ping me when they want a new build.ianthomas23 commentedon Dec 9, 2022
Matplotlib 3.6.2 was released on conda
defaultschannel today (https://anaconda.org/anaconda/matplotlib), 27 days after I requested it. I think the process will be faster next time without any intervention, and it might be possible to speed it up further by providing some help. But I would entirely understand if mpl maintainers concluded that this is too slow and that the advice to users should be to stick toconda-forge.dopplershift commentedon Dec 9, 2022
If I remember correctly, there are also certain terms of service requirements when it comes to using packages from the Anaconda defaults channel. I'm not saying I have problem with those, but I think it at least bears some further thinking.
timhoffm commentedon Dec 13, 2022
Unfortunately, there is no universal recommendation that would match all users / use cases. anaconda and conda-forge are two distinct package sources with different boundary conditions.
Maybe the best way ist to turn this into three tabs:
pip | anaconda | conda-forgeEach tab can get an additional sentence describing some context.
The downside is that only one is displayed at a time and we have to give one (pip) the priority of beeing initially shown. But that would be ok for me.
ianthomas23 commentedon Jan 4, 2023
I think my conda
defaultsinvestigations have held this up, and I don't want it to stall forever. So I would be inclined to opt for @story645's original suggestion of showing two options:pip install matplotlibandconda install -c conda-forge matplotlib.I don't think we can justify giving equal billing to
conda install matplotlib. We could reconsider this if/when there is a tried and tested process in place to update condadefaultson each new matplotlib release.exitflynn commentedon Jan 5, 2023
this seems pretty straightforward now, can i get to it? 🤠
QuLogic commentedon Jan 6, 2023
Fixed by #24888.