Sometimes it is useful to install python packages that are not part of psana-python or install particular versions of a software package.  These should be done from the "pslogin" machines since they have internet access.

Anaconda

psana now lives in the anaconda environment.  You can clone the psana environment into a local environment that you can control with a command like this (which will take some time because it has to copy several GB to the new environment):

conda create -n my-ana-1.3.10 --clone ana-1.3.10

You can see a list of available psana environments (to clone) like this:

conda info --envs

Then activate your new environment with:

source activate my-ana-1.3.10

Then install the conda-python package you want (potentially a specific version) using a command like:

conda install scipy=0.15.0

Note that package version conflicts can make it impossible to install a specific version.  One possible way to address this is to remove the package requiring the conflicting version using:

conda remove <packagename>

Virtualenv

NOTE: the virtualenv method is not compatible with our anaconda-based psana, but we leave the documentation here in case it is useful at some point.

A python virtualenv can be used to install python packages locally in your user account.  Some instructions are here.  Execute this command to create a new virtual environment (after setting up the psana psana environment):

virtualenv <directoryName>

where you replace <directoryName> with the name of the directory you would like to create.  Then activate your virtualenv like this:

source <directoryName>/bin/activate.csh     #use this for tcsh
 
or
 
source <directoryName>/bin/activate         #use this for bash

Use "deactivate" to exit the virtualenv.  Install various packages using "pip install <packageName>" as shown in these instructions.  Virtualenv packages can be used in batch jobs, but you must submit the job while the environment is active.