Add version check of conda and update package versions

00_SETUP.md

@@ -21,24 +21,41 @@ operating system: [https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html](https://docs.
 On Windows, you might also need
 [additional compilers](https://github.com/conda/conda-build/wiki/Windows-Compilers).
 
-## 2. Open the conda command prompt
+## 2. Update conda version
 
 *Miniconda includes an environment manager called conda. Environments
 allow you to have multiple sets of Python packages installed at the same
 time, making reproducibility and upgrades easier. You can create,
 export, list, remove, and update environments that have different versions of
 Python and/or packages installed in them. For this workshop, we will configure the environment using the conda command prompt.*
 
-On Mac or Linux, the `bash` shell will handle the conda commands.  Open your terminal and verify your shell environment:
+Open a terminal window and verify that conda is working:
 
-```console
-echo $SHELL
-```
+    % conda info
+
+If you are having trouble, check your shell in a terminal window:
+
+    % echo $SHELL
+
+then run the initialization if needed, in that same terminal window:
+
+    % conda init `basename $SHELL`
+
+You should open a new terminal window after `conda init` is run.
+
+It is advisable to update your conda to the latest version. We recommend a minimum
+version of 23.10.0. Check your conda version with:
 
-If the output text does not contain `bash`, switch to the bash shell before
-being able to run anything related to conda.
+    % conda --version
+
+Update it with:
+
+    % conda update conda
+
+or
+
+    % conda update -n base conda
 
-On Windows, open the `Anaconda Prompt` terminal app.
 
 ## 3. Install git (if needed)
 
@@ -76,17 +93,10 @@ following:
 cd navo-workshop
 ```
 
-To speed up the installation of the environment, install the
-`conda-libmamba-solver` package:
-
-```console
-conda install conda-libmamba-solver
-```
-
-And finally, on any platform, to install and activate the conda environment for the workshop, type:
+To install and activate the conda environment for the workshop, type:
 
 ```console
-conda env create --solver=libmamba --file environment.yml
+conda env create --file environment.yml
 conda activate navo-env
 ```
 

check_env.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         'jupyterlab': ('3.1', None),
         'astropy': ('5.2', None),
         'scipy': ('1.0', None),
-        'pyvo': ('1.4', None),
+        'pyvo': ('1.4.2', None),
         'astroquery': ('0.4.7dev', None),
         'jupytext': ('1.14', None)
         }

environment.yml

@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ name: navo-env
 channels:
   - conda-forge
 dependencies:
-  - python=3.9
-  - numpy>=1.24
-  - astropy>=5.2
-  - matplotlib>=3.2
-  - jupyterlab>=3.1
-  - pyvo>=1.4
-  - scipy>=1.0
+  - python=3.11
+  - numpy>=1.26
+  - astropy>=6.0
+  - matplotlib>=3.8
+  - jupyterlab>=4.0
+  - pyvo>=1.4.2
+  - scipy>=1.11
   - pip
   - pip:
     - jupytext>=1.14