title: conda 4.7.7 ->4.6 - Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json) - (channel conda-forge) ipywidgets-5.2.3-py36_0 due to InvalidSpec: ==1.*
body: <p>conda update brakes everything.</p>
  
  <p>conda env-solving took hours and forever </p>
  
  <p>probably due to a conda optimization:
  <a href="https://www.anaconda.com/why-we-removed-the-free-channel-in-conda-4-7/" rel="noreferrer">https://www.anaconda.com/why-we-removed-the-free-channel-in-conda-4-7/</a></p>
  
  <p>but that breaks many systems (like mine):
  <a href="https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/8844" rel="noreferrer">https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/8844</a></p>
  
  <p>got errors like </p>
  
  <pre><code>Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): - WARNING conda.models.version:get_matcher(531): Using .* with relational operator is superfluous and deprecated and will be removed in a future version of conda. Your spec was 1.*, but conda is ignoring the .* and treating it as 1
  done
  Solving environment: failed with current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source.
  Initial quick solve with frozen env failed.  Unfreezing env and trying again.
  Solving environment: failed with current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source.
  Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>so I downgraded to conda=4.6</p>
  
  <p>but got </p>
  
  <pre><code>Collecting package metadata: / WARNING conda.core.index:push_record(193): Skipping conda-forge/label/broken/linux-64::ipywidgets-5.2.3-py36_0 due to InvalidSpec: ==1.*
  WARNING conda.core.index:push_record(193): Skipping conda-forge/label/broken/linux-64::ipywidgets-5.2.3-py27_0 due to InvalidSpec: ==1.*
  WARNING conda.core.index:push_record(193): Skipping conda-forge/label/broken/linux-64::ipywidgets-5.2.3-py35_0 due to InvalidSpec: ==1.*
  done
  Solving environment: failed
  
  InvalidVersionSpec: Invalid version '==1.*': invalid operator with '.*'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and </p>
  
  <pre><code>conda install conda=4.7 
  Collecting package metadata: failed
  
  CondaUpgradeError: This environment has previously been operated on by a conda version that's newer
  than the conda currently being used. A newer version of conda is required.
    target environment location: /home/aeug/conda
    current conda version: 4.6.0
    minimum conda version: 4.7
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is there anything to fix the system / envs again?</p>
  
  <p>All I can see is to reinstall with an good old conda 4.6.11 <code>https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/</code></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <pre><code>conda install conda=4.6
  conda config --set pip_interop_enabled True
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and I could rebuild the env with some errors but it took ~6 hours.</p>