New conda module available on Polaris

Published
Systems Polaris

Following the system HPCM upgrade in August, the new conda/2025-09-25 module is now available to users on Polaris; it is recommended that all users of the previous conda/2024-04-29 module switch as soon as possible. While the old module remains the default if “module load conda” is used, the default will change in two weeks. The old module may be removed entirely in the future (advanced notice will be given).

The new module restores functionality broken by the system upgrade and updates the following major libraries and package versions:

  • PyTorch 2.8
  • TensorFlow pre-release 2.21.0
  • DeepSpeed 0.17.6
  • CUDA 12.9.1
  • cuDNN 9.13.0
  • NCCL 2.28.3
  • cuSPARSELt 0.8.1.1
  • NVSHMEM 3.3.9

Some highlights of changes relative to previous versions of this module:

  • Miniforge (conda-forge, libmamba/mamba) replaces Miniconda
  • Horovod is no longer included in the base environment
  • vLLM, verl, mamba-ssm, megatron-core, SGLang, uv, FlashInfer, and other packages added
  • Improved PyTorch compatibility with mpi4py and Cray MPICH

NOTE: The Anaconda defaults channel has been removed from the package manager’s list of channels. No packages in the base environment come from the defaults channel. We recommend that users avoid both re-adding defaults and installing any packages from the Anaconda distribution due to a change in their licensing model. 

Please reach out to support@alcf.anl.gov with any questions.

 

Systems