title: export conda environment without prefix variable which shows local path to executable
body: <p>In order to improve reproducibly across my team I have exported a conda environment file in a newly created repository running <code>conda env export &gt; environment.yml</code>.</p>
  
  <p>The idea is for my colleagues to download the repo and run <code>conda env create -f environment.yml</code> and be ready to use the code.</p>
  
  <p>However, some of my colleagues pointed out to me that at the bottom of the yaml file there is:</p>
  
  <pre><code>  - readline=7.0=hc1231fa_4
    - requests=2.18.4=py35h0d65e6b_1
    - setuptools=38.5.1=py35_0
    - six=1.11.0=py35h39a4c60_1
    - sqlite=3.22.0=h3efe00b_0
    - tk=8.6.7=h35a86e2_3
    - urllib3=1.22=py35he002d57_0
    - wheel=0.30.0=py35h5c0b906_1
    - xz=5.2.3=h0278029_2
    - zlib=1.2.11=hf3cbc9b_2
  prefix: &lt;/path/to/your/anaconda/distribution&gt;/envs/&lt;env-name&gt;/bin
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>the last line with <code>prefix</code> variable actually shows my machine name and unique path to miniconda installation.</p>
  
  <p>When my colleagues tried to load the environment the script actually works fine for them, which means that the <code>prefix</code> variable is basically ignored by conda. </p>
  
  <p>I used to work with virtualenvs and the idea that my absolute path goes into a file which is supposed to be shared to make things reproducible on different machines really confounds me.</p>
  
  <p>So my question is: what is the prefix variable used for and is there a way to export a conda environment file without it?</p>