.. _anaconda_glossary:

========
Glossary
========

.. glossary::

   Anaconda
      A downloadable, free, open source, high-performance, optimized Python and
      R distribution with 100+ packages plus easy access to an
      additional 620+ popular open source packages for data science including
      advanced and scientific analytics. It also includes :term:`conda <Conda>`, an open source
      package, dependency and environment manager. Thousands more open source
      packages can be installed with the ``conda`` command. Available for Windows,
      macOS and Linux, all versions are supported by the community.

   Anaconda Cloud
      A web-based repository hosting service in the cloud. Packages created
      locally can be published to the cloud to be shared with others. Free
      accounts on Cloud can publish packages to be shared publicly.
      Paid subscriptions to Cloud can designate packages as private to
      be shared with authorized users. Cloud is Anaconda's
      :term:`Anaconda Repository` product made available to the public.
      Repository is also available for purchase by companies that wish to
      power their own on-premise version of Cloud. See
      `product comparison <https://www.anaconda.com/anaconda-subscriptions>`_.

   Anaconda Navigator
      A desktop graphical user interface (GUI) included in all versions of :term:`Anaconda`
      that allows you to easily manage :term:`conda packages <Conda package>`,
      :term:`environments <Conda environment>`, :term:`channels <Channels>` and
      notebooks without the need for the :term:`command line interface <Command Line Interface (CLI)>`.

   Anaconda Enterprise
      Anaconda with enterprise technical support for a specific number of
      users, indemnification for a select number of open source packages,
      collaborative notebooks, high-performance scalability, Hadoop,
      interactive visualization, governance and security. See the
      `subscriptions page
      <https://www.anaconda.com/anaconda-business-subscriptions>`_ for more
      details.

   Anaconda Repository
      An enterprise server on your network where open source and proprietary
      packages may be stored, retrieved and installed on a local computer.
      Anaconda Repository is different from `Anaconda Cloud <https://anaconda.org/>`_
      or the `default conda repository <https://repo.continuum.io/pkgs/>`_. The
      repository is used to govern access to data science assets including
      packages and notebooks.

   Channels
      The locations of the repositories where conda looks for packages. Channels
      may point to a Cloud repository or a private location on a remote
      or local repository that you or your organization created. The
      ``conda channel`` command has a default set of channels to search
      beginning with https://repo.continuum.io/pkgs/ . You may override the
      default channels, for example to maintain a private or internal channel.
      In conda commands and in the ``.condarc`` file, these default channels
      are referred to by the channel name ``defaults``.

   Command Line Interface (CLI)
      A program in which commands are entered as text, one line at a time, for a
      computer to execute. Also referred to as a terminal.  Contrast with
      :term:`Graphical User Interface (GUI)`.

   Conda
      A package and environment manager program bundled with :term:`Anaconda` that installs
      and updates :term:`conda packages <Conda package>` and their dependencies.  Also lets you easily
      switch between :term:`conda environments <Conda environment>` on your local computer.

   Conda build
      A program that assembles the necessary components to create a :term:`conda package <Conda package>`
      using :term:`conda <Conda>` commands. A conda build is done locally with your own (optional)
      clusters.

   Conda environment
      A folder or directory that contains a specific collection of :term:`conda packages <Conda package>`
      and their dependencies, so that they can be maintained and run separately without
      interference from each other. For example, you may use one conda environment
      for only Python 2 and Python 2 packages and maintain another conda
      environment with only Python 3 and Python 3 packages.

   Conda package
      A compressed file that contains everything that a software program needs in
      order to be installed and run, including system-level libraries, Python modules,
      executable programs and other components. With a conda package, you do not have to
      manually find and install each dependency separately.  Managed with :term:`conda <Conda>`.

   Conda repository
      A cloud-based repository that contains 1,000+ open source certified packages
      that are easily installed locally with the ``conda install`` command. Can be
      accessed by anyone using :term:`conda <Conda>` commands or viewed directly at
      https://repo.continuum.io/pkgs/ .

   Graphical User Interface (GUI)
      A program with graphic images, icons and menus in which commands are
      entered by clicking with a mouse and/or entering text in form boxes.  It
      is an easy-to-use overlay to the same program that is run using a
      :term:`Command Line Interface (CLI)`. Examples are
      :term:`Anaconda Navigator` and Anaconda Fusion.

   Miniconda
      A minimal installer for conda. Like :term:`Anaconda`, Miniconda is a free software
      package that includes the Anaconda distribution and the :term:`conda <Conda>` package and
      environment manager, but Miniconda does not include any packages other than
      those dependencies needed to install it. After installing Miniconda,
      you can install additional conda packages directly from the command line
      with ``conda install``.

   Package manager
      A collection of software tools that automates the process of installing,
      upgdating, configuring and removing computer programs for a computer's
      operating system. Also known as a package management system. Conda is an
      example of a package manager.

   Packages
      Software files and information about the software, such as its name, the
      specific version and a description, that are bundled into a file that can be
      installed and managed by a package manager.

   R packages
      :term:`Conda packages <Conda package>` that install and run the R computer language. Examples include
      R Essentials, a bundle of 80 popular, open source software programs written in
      the R computer language. See http://conda.pydata.org/docs/r-with-conda.html .

   Repository
      Any storage location from which software or software assets may be retrieved
      and installed on a local computer.  See also :term:`Anaconda Repository` and :term:`conda
      repository <Conda repository>`.
