Pixi

Getting Started

Install pixi (macOS/Linux) curl -fsSL https://pixi.sh/install.sh \| bash
Install pixi (Windows) iwr -useb https://pixi.sh/install.ps1 \| iex
Create a new workspace pixi init <path>
Create workspace with specific channels pixi init -c conda-forge -c bioconda <path>
Create workspace with pyproject.toml format pixi init --format pyproject <path>
Import from conda environment.yml pixi init --import environment.yml
Create workspace for specific platforms pixi init -p linux-64 -p osx-arm64 <path>
Quick start workflow pixi init hello-world cd hello-world pixi add python pixi run python -c 'print("Hello World!")'

Dependencies

Add a conda dependency pixi add numpy
Add a PyPI dependency pixi add --pypi requests
Add an editable PyPI dependency pixi add --pypi --editable ./my-local-package
Add a dependency for a specific platform pixi add -p linux-64 cuda-toolkit
Add a dependency to a named feature pixi add -f dev pytest
Add a build or host dependency pixi add --build cmake pixi add --host openssl
Add a dependency from a git repository pixi add --pypi --git https://github.com/owner/repo --branch main pixi add --pypi --git https://github.com/owner/repo --tag v1.0.0 pixi add --pypi --git https://github.com/owner/repo --rev abc1234
Remove a dependency pixi remove numpy pixi remove --pypi requests
Update lockfile and environments pixi update pixi update numpy # update specific package pixi update -e dev # update specific environment pixi update --dry-run # preview changes without applying
Upgrade package version constraints pixi upgrade pixi upgrade numpy # upgrade specific package
Control version pinning strategy pixi add numpy --pinning-strategy semver # options: semver \| minor \| major \| latest-up \| exact-version \| no-pin

Environments

Install the environment pixi install
Reinstall the environment pixi reinstall
Activate a shell inside the environment pixi shell pixi shell -e dev # activate a named environment exit # leave the pixi shell
Run a command inside the environment pixi run python script.py pixi run -e dev pytest # run in a named environment
Run a command without activating pixi tasks pixi run -x python script.py
Run a command in an isolated environment pixi run --clean-env python script.py
Execute a command in a temporary environment pixi exec cowsay hello pixi exec --spec python=3.12 python -c 'import sys; print(sys.version)'
Clean environments pixi clean # remove all environments pixi clean cache # clean download cache
Print the environment activation script pixi shell-hook pixi shell-hook -e dev eval "$(pixi shell-hook)" # activate in current shell

Tasks

Add a task pixi task add test 'pytest tests/' pixi task add build 'cargo build --release'
Add a task with dependencies # pixi.toml [tasks] build = "cargo build" test = { cmd = "cargo test", depends-on = ["build"] }
Remove a task pixi task remove test
Create a task alias pixi task alias t test
List all tasks pixi task list
Run a task pixi run test pixi run test --skip-deps # skip dependent tasks pixi run test --dry-run # preview without executing
Define tasks in pixi.toml [tasks] start = "python main.py" test = { cmd = "pytest", depends-on = ["lint"] } lint = "ruff check ." format = { cmd = "ruff format .", cwd = "src" }

Global Packages

Install a tool globally pixi global install ripgrep pixi global install ruff uv # multiple tools pixi global install 'python=3.12' # pinned version
Uninstall a global tool pixi global uninstall ripgrep
List globally installed tools pixi global list
Update global tools pixi global update pixi global update ripgrep # update specific tool
Add a dependency to a global environment pixi global add -e my-env numpy
Remove a dependency from a global environment pixi global remove -e my-env numpy
Sync global manifest with installed environments pixi global sync
Expose a binary from a global environment pixi global expose add --environment my-env my-binary
Show dependency tree of a global environment pixi global tree pixi global tree -e my-env
Edit the global manifest file pixi global edit

Workspace Management

Add or remove channels pixi workspace channel add bioconda pixi workspace channel remove bioconda pixi workspace channel list
Manage platforms pixi workspace platform add win-64 pixi workspace platform remove win-64 pixi workspace platform list
Manage environments pixi workspace environment add dev pixi workspace environment remove dev pixi workspace environment list
Manage features pixi workspace feature add cuda pixi workspace feature list
Manage workspace version pixi workspace version get pixi workspace version set 1.2.0 pixi workspace version major # bump major pixi workspace version minor # bump minor pixi workspace version patch # bump patch
Export workspace pixi workspace export conda-explicit-spec pixi workspace export conda-environment
Import a file into an environment pixi import environment.yml

Information & Inspection

Show system and workspace info pixi info
List installed packages pixi list pixi list -e dev # specific environment pixi list --json # output as JSON
Show dependency tree pixi tree pixi tree -e dev
Search for a conda package pixi search numpy pixi search 'numpy>=1.24' pixi search -c conda-forge scipy

Lockfile & Configuration

Update lockfile without installing pixi lock
Use lockfile as-is (frozen) pixi install --frozen pixi run --frozen <task>
Verify lockfile matches manifest pixi install --locked pixi run --locked <task>
Manage pixi configuration pixi config set default-channels '["conda-forge"]' pixi config get default-channels pixi config list pixi config edit # open config in editor
Authenticate to a channel pixi auth login prefix.dev --token <TOKEN> pixi auth login anaconda.org --username <USER> pixi auth logout prefix.dev

Misc

Generate shell completions pixi completion --shell bash >> ~/.bashrc pixi completion --shell zsh >> ~/.zshrc pixi completion --shell fish >> ~/.config/fish/completions/pixi.fish
Update pixi itself pixi self-update pixi self-update --version 0.30.0 # specific version
Build a conda package pixi build
Upload a conda package pixi upload prefix.dev <path-to-package>

Notes

Based on the Pixi documentation
Pixi is a package manager for multi-language projects built on top of the conda ecosystem
CheatSheet author: Ismail Hatim