Sysadmin:Software:Anaconda Python

Continuum has created a Python distribution, called Anaconda that makes it's easy to install packages and maintain different Python versions -- and that's important because there are big differences between Python 3 and Python 2, and there is still some software that was written in Python 2 that will need that interpreter. Another great thing about Anaconda is that is comes preinstalled with tons of packages that are used for science, math, engineering and data analysis.

Most of our machines use Anaconda as the main Python distribution, as module. Below are instructions for installing Anaconda with different Python versions, installing packages for those different versions, and updating the entire Anaconda distribution.