conda returns 'Solving environment: failed'

Question

I can not use the conda utility anymore. I use it regularly since years but lately, since I installed the python module scp (with the command conda instal

Answer 1

Downgrading to conda 4.5.5 fixed this for me.

And with a ranting hat on: This is the third time in the space of about 18 months that a conda update has resulted in an error that causes builds to fail, and there's been plenty of other issues too. I presume it will be fixed by the core conda people at some point, and maybe it is caused by a particular combination of third party dependencies, but one way or another conda always seems extremely buggy. There was once an update that caused conda install conda to delete itself!