# Installing QIIME2-2018.2 within an existing conda environment

**URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843
**Category:** User Support
**Created:** [April 18, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843 "2018-04-18T18:56:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![aeriel.belk](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/aeriel.belk/32/762_2.png) [@aeriel.belk](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/aeriel.belk)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/1 "2018-04-18T18:56:38Z")

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Hello,

I am trying to install QIIME2 within an existing conda environment. I use this environment for machine learning, so it already contains important packages. I need to add QIIME2 to this environment, but the installation instructions all require creating a new environment.

I tried to install it using the command  
conda install --file qiime2-2018.2-py35-osx-conda.yml  
with my machine learning environment activated at the recommendation of @zech_xu , but got the error:  
could not parse '- qiime2/label/r2018.2' in: qiime2-2018.2-py35-osx-conda.yml

Is this something that can be resolved?

Thanks!

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### Author: ![Nicholas\_Bokulich](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/nicholas_bokulich/32/19937_2.png) [@Nicholas\_Bokulich](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Nicholas_Bokulich)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/2 "2018-04-19T12:49:39Z")

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### Author: ![ebolyen](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/ebolyen/32/11_2.png) [@ebolyen](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/ebolyen)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/3 "2018-04-22T15:34:30Z")

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Hi @aeriel.belk!

Sorry for my delayed response.

> [@aeriel.belk](#):
>
> conda install --file qiime2-2018.2-py35-osx-conda.yml
> 
> with my machine learning environment activated at the recommendation of @zech_xu , but got the error:
> 
> could not parse ‘- qiime2/label/r2018.2’ in: qiime2-2018.2-py35-osx-conda.yml

This is a poorly worded error from conda, fortunately the fix is simple.  
Change `conda install` -\> `conda env update`. The way the `--file` flag works is different between those. See [this post](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/new-conda-installation-scheme/2528) for more details.

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### Author: ![ebolyen](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/ebolyen/32/11_2.png) [@ebolyen](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/ebolyen)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/4 "2018-04-22T15:34:32Z")

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### Author: ![aeriel.belk](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/aeriel.belk/32/762_2.png) [@aeriel.belk](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/aeriel.belk)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/5 "2018-04-22T23:47:51Z")

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Wow, that was so easy!! Thanks! 🤗

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### Author: ![system](https://forum-qiime2-org.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/2/1/21af5fe23cb6f4579467c66a9ed94e55274ca7bd.svg) [@system](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/installing-qiime2-2018-2-within-an-existing-conda-environment/3843/6 "2018-05-24T05:47:51Z")

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