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main-x is a new, Anaconda-hosted that provides about 6,000 additional conda packages built by Anaconda for users who have created a free account on anaconda.com. It is designed to be used alongside Anaconda’s main channel, not replace it.

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Setting up main-x

If you belong to an organization with a paid plan, separate access instructions are provided below.
The following steps assume you have conda installed on your machine and have created an anaconda.com account.

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Configuration

  1. Open Anaconda Prompt (Terminal on macOS/Linux) and log into your Anaconda account:
  2. Complete the sign-in process using the browser window that opens. Once signed in, close your browser tab and return to your terminal.
  3. Add main-x to the top of your default channels list:
    This gives main-x top priority when conda searches for packages to install.

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Verify the channel is working

  1. Confirm that main-x appears at the top of your default channels:
    You should see something like this:
  2. Install a package from main-x to confirm everything is working:
    Browse packages on main-x at https://anaconda.org/channels/main-x.

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Accessing main-x for Anaconda Platform

main-x is natively available to all Anaconda Platform users. Add the channel to your .condarc file’s default_channels list:

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Accessing main-x for Package Security Manager

Ask your administrator to mirror https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main-x into your Package Security Manager instance to provide access to main-x for your organization. Then add the channel to your .condarc file’s default_channels list:
If you have a channel alias set for your Package Security Manager instance, you can use just the channel name instead of the full URL in the command above. For more information, see Using conda with Package Security Manager.

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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.
  • Some packages exist in both the main-x and main channels. Users with channel_priority: strict might encounter a problem where conda will not install a preferred package from main-x if the same package exists in a higher-priority channel. Users with channel_priority: flexible (the default) might also be affected if the order of their channels doesn’t reflect their preferred priority. See Troubleshooting if you run into this.

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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:
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 built 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