Conda is a tool that can package and build python projects. We can use it as an alternative to pip and virtualenv to setup Python environments and install PyPi packages.

## Install Conda

Conda or variations of it can be installed via the official [website](https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/install/index.html#). Once install run `conda -V` in a shell to test the install:

```txt
conda 4.12.0
```

## Create a new environment within a project

Conda can create virtual environments with the `create` command. In our examples lets create a python 3 project and write some unit tests.

```
mkdir p3ut
cd p3ut
conda create --name p3ut python=3.10
```

Conda will download packages and create a new environment called `p3ut` with python 3.10 installed. We can activate the environment with the `activate` command.

```
conda activate p3ut
```

## Install packages

Lets install a package from PyPi using Conda. We can install the [MailSlurp](/guides/dashboard/view-email-addresses/) [email testing](https://pypi.org/project/mailslurp-client/) library.
First we need to enable pip support for Conda so we can find libraries on the Python package index.

```
conda config --set pip_interop_enabled True
```

Then install the package using the Conda linked pip command:

```
pip install mailslurp-client
```

We can verify the result by running:

```
conda list | grep mailslurp
> mailslurp-client          15.15.5                  pypi_0    pypi
```

## Save packages to requirements file

Freeze your package versions to a lockfile called `requirements.txt` by using the Conda list command:

```
conda list -e > requirements.txt
```

The file can be used to install packages again with the conda `install` command:

```
conda install --file requirements.txt
```