Condacompatible

Condacompatible is a term used in software packaging to describe software, libraries, or modules that are designed to be installed and run within Conda environments without requiring non-conda system dependencies. A Condacompatible package is typically available through Conda channels such as conda-forge or the default channels, and is built to be compatible with multiple Python versions and operating systems.

Scope and criteria typically associated with Condacompatibility include that the package’s runtime and build dependencies are provided through Conda, that ABI compatibility is maintained across major platforms, and that the package can be installed into a fresh environment with minimal external setup. This often includes clear metadata, robust test suites that validate installation and basic functionality in Conda, and reasonable effort to avoid hard-to-resolve conflicts with other Conda packages.

Rationale and usage revolve around signaling to users and maintainers that a package will integrate smoothly with Conda workflows, enabling reproducible environments, isolation, and portability across Windows, macOS, and Linux. In practice, developers label packages as Condacompatible to facilitate adoption in data science, bioinformatics, and other fields that rely on Conda for dependency management and environment isolation.

Limitations and notes: Condacompatibility does not guarantee universal compatibility with every Conda setup or every version of Python or operating system. Real-world compatibility may depend on the availability of Conda-forge packages for the underlying libraries and on how tightly a project wallets its external system dependencies.