How to install packages from yaml file in Conda

If your conda env is already activated, use:

conda env update --file environment.yml

Or update a specific environment without activating it:

conda env update --name envname --file environment.yml

You want the conda-env command instead, specifically

conda env update -n my_env --file ENV.yaml

Read the conda env update --help for details.

If you wish to install this in the base env, then you would use

conda env update -n base --file ENV.yaml

Note that the base env isn't technically "global", but rather just the default env as well as where the conda Python package lives. All envs are isolated unless you are either using the --stack flag during activation to override the isolation or have - contra recommended practice - manually manipulated PATH to include an env.