# Cannot create conda environment

**URL:** <https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/cannot-create-conda-environment/35815>\
**Category:** Zero to JupyterHub on Kubernetes\
**Created:** [June 3, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/cannot-create-conda-environment/35815 "2025-06-03T13:09:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xiao\_wang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/discourse.jupyter.org/xiao_wang/32/14242_2.png) [@xiao\_wang](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/xiao_wang)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/cannot-create-conda-environment/35815/1 "2025-06-03T13:09:59Z")

</div>

Following this link: [Customizing User Environment — Zero to JupyterHub with Kubernetes documentation](https://z2jh.jupyter.org/en/stable/jupyterhub/customizing/user-environment.html#customize-an-existing-docker-image), I want to create users’ own conda environment, but I cannot activate.  
I pull [Quay](http://quay.io/jupyter/datascience-notebook:latest) and build with nb\_conda\_kernels.

```auto
jovyan@jupyter-xiao1:~$ conda list
..................
nbconvert-core 7.16.4 pyhd8ed1ab_1 conda-forge
.....................

```

I also create /home/jovyan/.condarc:

```auto
jovyan@jupyter-xiao1:~$ more .condarc
envs_dirs:
  - /home/jovyan/my-conda-envs/

```

Then I create a new conda environment with: conda create -n myenv ipykernel scipy  
I can see the myenv by:

```auto
jovyan@jupyter-xiao1:~$ conda info --envs
# conda environments:
#
myenv /home/jovyan/my-conda-envs/myenv
base * /opt/conda

```

When I activate myenv, I am always required to init. After I run: conda init, and try to activate myenv, I am still be asked to init.

```auto
jovyan@jupyter-xiao1:~$ conda activate myenv                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
CondaError: Run 'conda init' before 'conda activate'

```

Any help? Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xiao\_wang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/discourse.jupyter.org/xiao_wang/32/14242_2.png) [@xiao\_wang](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/xiao_wang)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/cannot-create-conda-environment/35815/2 "2025-06-03T15:19:20Z")

</div>

OK. I can see the conda environment on Launcher, not from the Terminal. It works now. Thanks.