using conda-lock.yml result in "EnvironmentSectionNotValid".

[ubaldot]

I created a conda-lock.yml and I followed the guide in the README in this repo.

  mamba_tests:
    name: Tests with conda/mamba
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        os: ["ubuntu-latest", "macos-latest", "windows-latest"]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
        with:
          auto-update-conda: false
          activate-environment: explicit-env
          environment-file: ./conda-lock.yml

When running the workflow, I get the following error:

...
Updating 'explicit-env' env from conda env update...
  /usr/share/miniconda/condabin/conda env update --name explicit-env --file ./conda-lock.yml
  /home/runner/work/_actions/conda-incubator/setup-miniconda/v2/dist/setup/index.js:26904
                              throw new Error(`"${command}" failed with "${forced_error}"`);
                              ^
  
  Error: "/usr/share/miniconda/condabin/conda,env,update,--name,explicit-env,--file,./conda-lock.yml" failed with "EnvironmentSectionNotValid"

I generated the conda-lock file with conda-lock -f pyproject.toml

[goanpeca]

Hi @ubaldot, thanks for the issue

I do not think we support that (conda-lock -f pyproject.toml), as the format file that conda-lock generates is not installable directly by the command we are using: conda env update --name explicit-env --file ./conda-lock.yml you would need to generate conda-lock files that conda can use (older version format?) or use conda list --explicit which is not using conda-lock at all.

[ubaldot]

Hola Gonzalo,
Thanks for your reply and for the tips in using conda list --explicit.
I have two question though

1. What is the difference between conda-lock and conda list --explicit (or simply conda list --export)?
2. Perhaps the README should be updated? I used the conda-lock thing because I read it from the README :)

Best,
/U.

[goanpeca]

Hello,

1. conda-lock is a different tool so you need to use it to generate lock files and to be able to install them (in the latest version and default format). The other options use conda directly so conda can install the output of those commands. So to be able to generate conda-lock files that conda understands, then you need to use the explicit format. From the docs https://conda.github.io/conda-lock/output/

Explicit lockfile
The legacy format that conda lock supports. This was the default format prior to conda-lock 1.0.
This format is understood natively by both conda and mamba. If your lock contains pip solved packages these can only be installed by conda-lock

2. Indeed, we could add a note so that users know that they can use conda-lock, but need to use the explicit (legacy) format which is what conda currently understands.

Cheers