Problem

The dev/start script fails when setting up the conda development environment due to Anaconda's Terms of Service (TOS) acceptance requirement. The error occurs because:

1. The script downloads and installs a fresh miniconda installation from https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/
2. This fresh installation comes with default Anaconda channels (https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main and https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r) that require TOS acceptance
3. The script attempts to create environments and install packages without first accepting the TOS
4. This results in a CondaToSNonInteractiveError with the message:

CondaToSNonInteractiveError: Terms of Service have not been accepted for the following channels. Please accept or remove them before proceeding:
    • https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
    • https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r

Root Cause

The issue stems from Anaconda's recent requirement for explicit TOS acceptance for their channels. The dev/start script was not updated to handle this requirement, causing it to fail for new developers setting up the conda development environment.

Solution

Based on the Anaconda TOS plugin documentation, we should modify the dev/start script to accept the TOS.

Impact

This fix ensures that new developers can successfully set up the conda development environment without manual intervention, improving the developer experience and reducing setup friction.

Related Documentation

• Anaconda TOS Plugin Documentation
• GitHub Workflows (which handle TOS differently in CI/CD)