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This channel is in Beta access and requires authentication. For more information, see our Terms of Service.
main-x is a new, Anaconda-hosted and curated channel containing ~6,000 new conda packages. It is intended to be used alongside our existing main channel, not replace it. The main-x channel is available to all registered users of Anaconda. Access to main-x is different depending on your product or access tier.

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Free users

Free users can access main-x by registering for an Anaconda account and adding the channel to their conda configuration.
  1. Create a free account at anaconda.com, if you don’t already have one.
  2. Download and install Anaconda Distribution or Miniconda.
  3. Update anaconda-auth to the latest version: 
    conda update --name base anaconda-auth
  4. Open Anaconda Prompt (Terminal on macOS/Linux) and log into your Anaconda account: 
    anaconda login
  5. Complete the log in process using the browser window that opens. Once logged in, close your browser tab and return to your terminal.
  6. Add the main-x channel to your conda configuration: 
    conda config --append channels https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x
    The --append flag adds the channel to the bottom of your channels: list, giving it low priority when conda is searching for packages. To add the channel to the top of your channels: list, giving it high priority, use the --add flag instead.
  7. Verify the channel was added: 
    conda info
    Confirm main-x appears in the listed channels. You should see something like this: 
            active environment : base
       active env location : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3
               shell level : 1
          user config file : /Users/annieconda/.condarc
    populated config files : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3/.condarc
                             /Users/annieconda/miniconda3/condarc.d/anaconda-auth.yml
                             /Users/annieconda/.condarc
             conda version : 26.3.1
       conda-build version : 26.3.0
            python version : 3.13.12.final.0
                    solver : libmamba (default)
          virtual packages : __archspec=1=m1
                             __conda=26.3.1=0
                             __osx=26.3.1=0
                             __unix=0=0
          base environment : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3  (writable)
         conda av data dir : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3/etc/conda
     conda av metadata url : None
              channel URLs : https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/osx-arm64
                             https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/noarch
                             https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x/noarch
             package cache : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3/pkgs
                             /Users/annieconda/.conda/pkgs
          envs directories : /Users/annieconda/miniconda3/envs
                             /Users/annieconda/.conda/envs
  8. Install a package from main-x to confirm everything is working:
    Browse packages on main-x at https://anaconda.org/channels/main-x.
    conda install <PACKAGE_NAME>

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Anaconda Platform (Cloud) users

Anaconda Platform (Cloud) users can access main-x by adding the channel to their conda configuration. For more information on using the main-x channel in Anaconda Platform (Cloud), see the following pages:

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Anaconda Platform (Self-Hosted)/Package Security Manager (On-prem) users

Site admins for Anaconda Platform (Self-Hosted) and Package Security Manager (On-prem) must manually mirror main-x into their Anaconda Platform (Self-Hosted) or Package Security Manager (On-prem) instance. Then each user can manually update their conda configuration to use the mirrored channel. For more information on using the main-x channel in Anaconda Platform (Self-Hosted) and Package Security Manager (On-prem), see the following pages:

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Known limitations

  • main-x includes ~6,000 packages (pure Python only) that extend what’s available in the main channel. main-x does not include every package in the PyPI or conda-forge catalog.
  • There is no automated .condarc setup. Users must manually add main-x to their .condarc file.
  • Packages in main-x do not yet have CVE or SBOM metadata available, but we are aiming to have these capabilities as we build towards General Availability.
  • Service accounts for accessing the main-x channel are not available.

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Support

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Package requests

Anaconda is actively tracking gaps to inform how to expand its package distribution. If you need a package that isn’t in main-x, create a post on Anaconda’s Canny board under Packages & Installers. When creating post, include the following:
  • The package name and version you need
  • Details about your operating system and platform (for example, Windows 11, macOS Sonoma on Apple Silicon, Ubuntu 22.04).
  • (Optional) A description of your use case

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Technical support

For technical issues, bugs, or questions about using main-x, submit a support request. When submitting a request, include the following:
  • A description of the issue or question
  • The command(s) you ran and the full error message (if applicable)
  • Your operating system and platform (for example, Windows 11, macOS Sonoma on Apple Silicon, Ubuntu 22.04)
  • Your conda version
Open Anaconda Prompt (Terminal on macOS/Linux) and run the following:
conda --version
Our support team will triage your request and send it to the appropriate team.

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FAQ

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How are the packages in main-x different from the packages in main?

The main-x channel extends main with approximately 6,000 additional conda packages, curated and vetted by Anaconda. It is designed to be used alongside main. Additionally, main-x also currently does not offer CVE information or SBOMs for the packages it contains. We’re working on these capabilities as we build towards General Availability (GA).

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When will main-x be GA?

We are aiming to move main-x into GA in Q3 2026, though this timeline is subject to change.

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Should I use main-x packages in production environments?

We do not recommend main-x packages be used in production environments while it’s in Beta.

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Troubleshooting