The [iPython kernel](https://github.com/Anaconda-Platform/nb_conda_kernels) allows you to access Jupyter Notebook in each environment without re-installing the full package each time.
## running notebooks in VS Code
To use Jupyter Notebooks with VS Code, simply install the ipython kernel in your desired environment and register it.
- Activate your desired environment and run the commands:
```bash
mamba activate <env>
mamba install ipykernel
python -m ipykernel install --user --name=<environment_name> --display-name=<display_name>>
```
You can now access your environment in a Jupyter Notebook created in [[VS Code]] (my preference). Simply open VS Code and create a new notebook file (ending with `.ipynb`). In the top right corner, click `Select Kernel` and select the kernel you just created.
> [!NOTE]
> If you have installed the package `nb_conda_kernels` in your base environment, you no longer need to register the kernel in each environment.
## running notebooks in the browser
To access through Jupyter Notebooks the traditional way through your browser, first make sure you have Jupyter Notebooks and the package `nb_conda_kernels` installed in your `base` environment (see [[install Jupyter Notebook]] for details.)
- Activate your desired environment and install `ipykernel`.
```bash
mamba activate <env>
mamba install ipykernel
```
The optional `--display-name` flag specifies the name the kernel will appear under when selecting it to use with Jupyter Notebook.
- Next, activate the `base` environment and launch Jupyter Notebook.
```bash
mamba deactivate
jupyter notebook
```
When you create a new notebook, select the kernel you just created (it will have the same name as the environment name unless you provided a distinct display name).