Conda Newsletter # 2

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+---
+title: "Conda Newsletter, Issue #2"
+slug: "2023-09-08-newsletter"
+description: |
+    Upcoming Events, conda-store brief, Is conda free?, pre and post plugin hooks, Recent releases, Travis Hathaway's latest talk on Youtube.
+authors: [pinak-datta]
+tags: [conda, newsletter]
+image: img/blog/2023-09-08-newsletter-2/newsletter.jpg
+---
+
+import Image from '@theme/IdealImage';
+import banner from '@site/static/img/blog/2023-09-08-newsletter-2/newsletter.jpg';
+import packagingcon from '@site/static/img/blog/2023-06-23-newsletter/packagingcon.jpg';
+import yt from '@site/static/img/blog/2023-09-08-newsletter-2/yt.png';
+
+
+<Image img={banner} alt="Banner image for blog post; Conda Newsletter Issue # 2 - mailboxes"/>
+<p>
+    <i>
+        <small>
+            Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/GjFbKfI874o">Yannik Mika on Unsplash</a>
+        </small>
+    </i>
+</p>
+
+**Welcome to the second issue of the conda Community Newsletter!** We're excited to bring you the latest updates and insights, packed with valuable information and exciting developments.
+
+In this issue, we've got a diverse range of topics to cover, including [Upcoming Events](#upcoming-Events), new tools like [conda-store](#conda-store), thought-provoking discussions on [conda's free nature](#is-conda-Free?), [plugin hooks](#new-pre-and-post-command-plugin-hooks), and intriguing projects like [Pandata](#pandata). Plus, we'll delve into [recent releases](#releases) that promise to enhance your conda experience.
+
+But that's not all! We'll also highlight one [job opportunity](#job-still-open-at-sfbi!) and share news about recent talks from [Travis Hathaway](  #writing-plugin-friendly-python-applications-by-travis-hathaway-a-conda-maintainer) and [Bianca Henderson](#making-established-python-codebase-pluggable-by-bianca-henderson-a-conda-maintainer), now available for public consumption.
+
+<!-- truncate -->
+
+And if you don't want to miss out on future editions, be sure to **[Sign-up for the conda Announce Mailing List](https://lists.conda.org/wws/info/announce)**.
+
+So, without further ado, let's dive into this issue and explore the exciting developments happening in the world of conda. 
+
+Happy reading!
+
+---
+
+## Upcoming Events
+
+### [Conda-forge guide at RSE 2023](https://us-rse.org/usrse23/program/tutorials/#publish-your-software-in-conda-forge)
+
+Community Member, Dave Clements will be leading a tutorial on publishing open-source software to conda-forge. Conda-forge is a thriving community-managed channel within the conda ecosystem, boasting over 20,000 packages and serving billions of downloads annually. In this hands-on tutorial, you'll grasp the fundamentals of software packaging, understand the conda ecosystem, and explore the process of preparing and publishing your software on conda-forge.
+
+**Key Highlights:**
+
+- Introduction to software packaging concepts and challenges.
+- Diving into the conda ecosystem.
+- Step-by-step guide to preparing a sample software package for conda-forge.
+- Building your package using conda-build.
+- Submission and publication of your package on conda-forge.
+- Porting packages from PyPA/pip (Python) or CRAN (R) to conda.
+
+**To know more about this tutorial, visit the [US-RSE Page](https://us-rse.org/usrse23/program/tutorials/#publish-your-software-in-conda-forge)**.
+
+
+[<Image img={packagingcon} alt="Banner image for PackagingCon 2023"/>](https://packaging-con.org/)
+
+### PackagingCon 2023
+
+ - **When**: October 26-28, 2023
+ - **Where**: Berlin (Hybrid, so online is an option too!)
+ - **Early Registration Ends**: September 8, 2023
+
+[**PackagingCon 2023**](https://packaging-con.org/) is your opportunity to connect with software packaging experts, discuss best practices, and tackle common challenges. Whether you're a developer, packager, or part of a packaging community, this conference is a must-attend.
+
+[**Registration**](https://ti.to/packagingcon/packagingcon-2023): Early bird rates start at €37.50 for virtual and €150 for in-person. Discounts available for students and early registrants. *Early registration ends on September 8!*.
+
+For more information, you can also check out [**Dave Clements' post on PackagingCon**](https://conda.org/blog/2023-07-25-packagingcon/). 
+
+---
+
+## Recent News
+
+### [conda-store](https://conda.store/en/latest/)
+
+Experience enhanced flexibility and reliability with conda-store, a powerful tool that simplifies conda environment management.
+
+**What is conda-store?**
+
+[conda-store](https://conda.store/en/latest/) seamlessly integrates conda environments, offering flexibility for individual data scientists and administrators alike. It streamlines environment lifecycle management, adhering to best practices.
+
+**Key Features:**
+
+🔑 **Flexibility**: Customize environments with a GUI or YAML editor, adapting them to your specific needs.
+
+🔑 **Reproducibility**: conda-store generates auto-artifacts for sharing and exact version control, ensuring reproducibility.
+
+🔑 **Governance**: Admin-approved packages, version control, and channel management promote organization-wide consistency.
+
+🔑 **Namespace Management**: Securely share environments within designated teams for enhanced collaboration.
+
+**Get Started:**
+
+[Explore comprehensive documentation at conda.store](https://conda.store/en/latest/user_guide.html) for installation, usage, and contributions.
+
+Whether you're a data scientist or an administrator, conda-store revolutionizes conda environments. Make sure to check it out!
+
+### Is conda Free?
+
+[**In Dave Clement's latest blog post**](https://www.anaconda.com/blog/is-conda-free#summarize), he clarifies the question that's on everyone's mind: "*Is conda truly free?*" Here's a brief overview:
+
+- Conda, the package and environment management software, is open source and free for anyone to use.
+
+- Conda-compatible packages from conda-forge, Bioconda, and other public channels are also free for all users.
+
+- For packages in the default channel and Anaconda Distribution:
+
+    -    Organizations with fewer than 200 people can use them for free.
+    -    Larger organizations can still qualify for free use if they meet Anaconda's terms of service exemptions, including developers, students, teachers, academic institutions, non-commercial open source software projects, and small businesses.
+
+For an in-depth look at conda's free offerings and the finer details, dive into [**Dave Clement's full blog post here**](https://www.anaconda.com/blog/is-conda-free#summarize).
+
+### New pre and post command plugin hooks
+
+Discover the latest in conda extensibility with the introduction of **"pre command" and "post command" plugin hooks**. These powerful additions, available since conda release 23.7.2, allow plugin authors to execute code before and after conda commands, expanding the possibilities for customizing your conda experience.
+
+[**Key highlights from Travis Hathaway's blog post:**](https://conda.org/blog/2023-07-31-latest-conda-release-includes-new-plugin-hooks/)
+
+**Pre Command Hook**: This hook enables you to execute code before specified conda commands run. It's a game-changer for customizing and extending conda's default behavior. An excellent example of its practical application can be found in the conda-protect project, where it's used to safeguard conda environments.
+
+**Post Command Hook**: Similar to the pre command hook, the post command hook lets you run code after conda commands have successfully executed. This opens up exciting opportunities, like creating a simple command counter to analyze your conda usage.
+
+For detailed implementation examples and insights into these new plugin hooks, [dive into Travis Hathaway's blog post here](https://conda.org/blog/2023-07-31-latest-conda-release-includes-new-plugin-hooks/).
+
+### Pandata
+
+**Pandata** is a collaborative effort of various Python libraries. These libraries are carefully crafted to seamlessly complement each other, ensuring scalability, interactivity, and more.
+
+In essence, Pandata serves as your guide to a suite of libraries designed to work harmoniously. By using any of these libraries, you can rest assured that they're tailored to fit together seamlessly, preserving scalability and interactivity.
+
+**[Discover more about Pandata here](https://github.com/panstacks/pandata)**.
+
+---
+
+## Releases
+
+**[Conda 23.7.2](https://conda.org/blog/2023-07-28-july-2023-releases#changes-in-conda-237023712372)**: Introduces pre- and post-command plugin hooks, improved subcommand plugin infrastructure, and a health check for altered packages in environments.
+
+[**Conda Build 3.26.0**](https://conda.org/blog/2023-07-28-july-2023-releases#changes-in-conda-237023712372): Logs extra-meta data for package verification, adds pip to env-doc make command, and fixes various bugs related to handling unknown binaries and Git cloning with submodules.
+
+[**constructor 3.4.5**](https://github.com/conda/constructor/releases/tag/3.4.5): Constructor 3.4.5 enhances support for .yaml and .txt files in the environment_file key. This release also ensures accurate conda metadata when creating installers from existing environments on Windows.
+
+[**conda-libmamba-solver 23.7.0**](https://github.com/conda/conda-libmamba-solver/releases/tag/23.7.0): Libmamba solver 23.7.0 introduces local channel integrations in conda-build, fixes for namespaced settings, CLI argument handling, authentication in package downloads, and improved handling of channels in conda-lock, among other enhancements and bug fixes.
+
+[**conda-lock 2.1.2**](https://github.com/conda/conda-lock/releases/tag/v2.1.2): conda-lock 2.1.2 resolves Pydantic v2 warnings, implements auth stripping for private PyPi packages, and enhances compatibility with Mamba>=1.4.6. Additionally, it includes infrastructure improvements, dependency updates to pydantic 2.0, and the removal of deprecated pkg_resources, among other changes.
+
+[**conda-package-streaming 0.9.0**](https://github.com/conda/conda-package-streaming/releases/tag/v0.9.0)
+
+[**conda-package-handling 2.2.0**](https://github.com/conda/conda-package-handling/releases/tag/2.2.0)
+
+[**Pixi**](https://github.com/prefix-dev/pixi/releases/tag/v0.2.0): Pixi 0.2.0 introduces a new "pixi search" command for package searching and target-specific tasks. It also includes several bug fixes, installation improvements, and enhancements like a reduction in binary size, updated banner, and contribution guidelines.
+
+---
+
+## [Job still Open at SFBI!](https://www.sfbi.fr/emplois/offre/202308020700-cdd-ingenieur-e-en-developpement-logiciel)
+
+**Job Role**: Software Development Engineer
+
+**Contract Type**: Fixed-Term (12 months)
+
+**Location**: Versailles, France
+
+**Starting Date**: October 1, 2023
+
+**Education**: Bac+5 / Master's Degree
+
+Join in revolutionizing genomics research! SFBI is looking for a Software Development Engineer to enhance its flagship tool, REPET. 
+
+**Your mission**: Improve portability and scalability. If you have skills in Python, conda, Snakemake, and more, apply by September 20, 2023. [**Learn more**](https://www.sfbi.fr/emplois/offre/202308020700-cdd-ingenieur-e-en-developpement-logiciel).
+
+---
+
+## [Writing Plugin Friendly Python Applications: by Travis Hathaway( A conda Maintainer)](https://youtu.be/d40tBcqopAI?feature=shared)
+
+In this talk, Travis Hathaway explores how to **design plugin-friendly Python applications**. He emphasizes the importance of well-defined contracts between core software and plugins, fostering modular organization.
+
+Throughout the session, he demonstrates these principles using the pluggy library. He also shares a case study on conda, showcasing how it's adapting its codebase to embrace plugin-friendly practices.
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d40tBcqopAI?si=NN62GyGLvbEgzqpC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+**[Watch the video](https://youtu.be/d40tBcqopAI?feature=shared)** to learn how to enhance your Python applications with plugin-friendliness.
+
+## [Making established Python codebase pluggable: by Bianca Henderson (A conda Maintainer)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeSv0_HesaU) 
+
+In this presentation by Bianca Henderson, you'll dive into the world of making established Python codebases more pluggable. The presentation introduces the pluggy Python framework as a key tool for achieving plugin-friendliness in your projects.
+
+Using a real-life example, Bianca illustrates how the ten-year-old conda codebase has embraced a plugin API, breathing new life into the project. 
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OeSv0_HesaU?si=4yMKPdmLIRgq_Eof" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+Don't miss this opportunity to discover how to inject plugin capabilities into your Python codebase effectively.