[conda-forge](https://conda-forge.org/docs/) is a community-driven channel for installing packages through [[conda]]. The benefit of `conda-forge` is that it provides "recipes" to build packages in an environment. > [!Tip] > The `conda-forge` community prefers the [[miniforge3]] distribution over [[miniconda3]]. `miniforge3` comes with [[mamba]], a faster method for installing Python packages. `conda-forge` is the preferred channel for installing new libraries. One way to specify the channel `conda-forge` when installing a package is to use the `-c` flag: ```bash conda install -c conda-forge pandas ``` To make life easier, add `conda-forge` as the preferred channel with: ```bash conda config --add channels conda-forge conda config --set channel_priority strict ``` Now you can omit the `-c` flag when installing new libraries. > [!NOTE] > The command `conda config` updates the `.condarc` file. ## Citation To credit `conda-forge` in your work, cite the [Zenodo entry](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4774216). The citation is ``` conda-forge community. (2015). The conda-forge Project: Community-based Software Distribution Built on the conda Package Format and Ecosystem. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4774216 ```