envs_dirs option is not read from system-wide .condarc file

[b-a0]

Troubleshooting docs

• My problem is not solved in the Troubleshooting docs

Anaconda default channels

• I do NOT use the Anaconda default channels (pkgs/* etc.)

How did you install Mamba?

Other (please describe)

Search tried in issue tracker

envs_dirs

Latest version of Mamba

• My problem is not solved with the latest version

Tried in Conda?

I do not have this problem with Conda, just with Mamba

Describe your issue

I manage a multi-user Windows server that uses a systemwide .condarc file to ensure environments and package cache is stored on a large disk. The file looks like this and is stored under C:\ProgramData\miniconda3 (=$CONDA_PREFIX)

channels:
  - conda-forge
channel_priority: strict
envs_dirs:
  - L:\.conda\envs
pkgs_dirs:
  - L:\.conda\pkgs
auto_activate_base: false
default_threads: 16
solver: libmamba

If I open an Anaconda Powershell Prompt and run conda config --show-sources:

conda config --show-sources
==> C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc <==
auto_activate_base: False
default_threads: 16
envs_dirs:
  - L:\.conda\envs
pkgs_dirs:
  - L:\.conda\pkgs
channel_priority: strict
channels:
  - conda-forge
solver: libmamba

If I run mamba config list --sources in the same terminal I get:

envs_dirs:
  - C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\Library\envs  # 'fallback'
pkgs_dirs:
  - L:\.conda\pkgs  # 'C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc'
channels:
  - conda-forge  # 'C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc'
channel_priority: strict  # 'C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc'
auto_activate_base: false  # 'C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc'

I have not set the $MAMBA_ROOT_PREFIX (as that gives me other issues) and it uses the default value of C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\Library. Regardless, the pkgs_dirs setting is taken from the system-wide .condarc, while the envs_dirs is not. This seems to be an inconsistency.

If I create a user conda config file at ~/.condarc, then the envs_dirs setting is taken from there. But, the idea of creating a system-wide condarc file is that some settings are then set for all users, regardless if they have a user config or not.

mamba info / micromamba info

libmamba version : 2.0.5
          mamba version : 2.0.5
           curl version : libcurl/8.11.1 Schannel zlib/1.3.1 libssh2/1.11.1
     libarchive version : libarchive 3.7.7 zlib/1.3.1 liblzma/5.6.3 bz2lib/1.0.8 liblz4/1.10.0 libzstd/1.5.6
       envs directories : C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\Library\envs
          package cache : L:\.conda\pkgs
            environment : C:\ProgramData\miniconda3 (active)
           env location : C:\ProgramData\miniconda3
      user config files : C:\Users\<myusername>\.mambarc
 populated config files : C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\.condarc
       virtual packages : __win=10.0.20348=0
                          __archspec=1=x86_64
                          __cuda=12.4=0
               channels : https://conda.anaconda.org/conda-forge/noarch
                          https://conda.anaconda.org/conda-forge/win-64
       base environment : C:\ProgramData\miniconda3\Library
               platform : win-64

Logs

environment.yml

~/.condarc