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Python 1- Setting Up Python, Jupyter, and Conda Environments with Anaconda

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by

princejohnsite
in

🧭 Goal:

  • Install Anaconda and configure your development setup
  • Create a dedicated conda environment called blog_env
  • Launch Jupyter and run your first notebook

🛠 Step 1: Install Anaconda (Skip if already installed)

🧪 Step 2: Open Anaconda Navigator

  1. Open Anaconda Navigator (search from Start menu)
  2. Wait for it to load — you’ll see a dashboard with environments on the left

🧰 Step 3: Create Your Environment: blog_env

  1. Click “Environments” (left pane)
  2. Click the “Create” button at the bottom
  3. Name your environment: blog_env
  4. Choose Python version: 3.10 or 3.11
  5. Click Create

This will set up an isolated space with just Python installed.

🧱 Step 4: Install Key Packages into blog_env

Once the environment is created:

  1. Select blog_env from the left pane
  2. Click the green play button next to it → “Open Terminal”
  3. In the terminal, run this:
conda install jupyter pandas matplotlib seaborn

This installs your data analysis basics and the notebook system.

📓 Step 5: Launch Jupyter Notebook

Still inside blog_env:

  1. From Navigator’s Home tab, switch to blog_env using the dropdown at the top
  2. Click Launch under “Jupyter Notebook”

This will open a browser window. From there:

  • Click New → Python 3 (ipykernel). In the cell, type: 
print("Hello from blog_env!")

Hit Shift + Enter to run the cell.

🗃 Optional: VS Code Setup

If you use VS Code:

  1. Install it from https://code.visualstudio.com
  2. Open VS Code → Install extensions:
    • ✅ Python
    • ✅ Jupyter
  3. Select your blog_env by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P → “Python: Select Interpreter”

✅ Recap

You now have:

  • Installed Anaconda and launched Navigator
  • Created an isolated environment called blog_env
  • Installed essential data analysis packages
  • Opened your first Jupyter notebook

You’re ready to learn Python with a clean, professional setup!