title: Unable to upgrade Conda and install packages using Conda
body: <p>In my windows10 environment I am unable to upgrade conda using following command</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <blockquote>
      <p>conda update conda</p>
    </blockquote>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><strong>My anaconda and python version</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>(base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;conda --version
  conda 4.5.3
  
  (base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;python --version
  Python 3.6.4 :: Anaconda, Inc.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>following is my error log</strong> </p>
  
  <p>(base) C:\Users\naseer>conda update conda
  Solving environment: failed</p>
  
  <p>'>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Error Report>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>></p>
  
  <p><code>$ C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda update conda</code></p>
  
  <p>environment variables:
                   CCHZPATH=C:\CTEX\CTeX\cct\fonts
                   CCPKPATH=C:\CTEX\CTeX\fonts\pk\modeless\cct\dpi$d
                   CIO_TEST=
          CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV=base
                  CONDA_EXE=C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe
               CONDA_PREFIX=C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3
      CONDA_PROMPT_MODIFIER=(base)
           CONDA_PYTHON_EXE=C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\python.exe
                 CONDA_ROOT=C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3
                CONDA_SHLVL=1
               GTK_BASEPATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\GtkSharp\2.12\
                   HOMEPATH=\Users\naseer
               INTELOCLPATH=C:\Intel\OpenCL\sdk\bin\x64;C:\Intel\OpenCL\sdk\bin\x86
        MIC_LD_LIBRARY_PATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Intel\Shared
                            Libraries\compiler\lib\intel64_win_mic
                       PATH=C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3;C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\Library\mingw-w64\
                            bin;C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\Library\usr\bin;C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda
                            3\Library\bin;C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\Scripts;C:\Users\naseer\Anacon
                            da3\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\IntelSWTools\compilers_and_libraries_20
                            18.0.124\windows\mpi\intel64\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common
                            Files\Intel\Shared Libraries\redist\intel64_win\mpirt;C:\Program Files
                            (x86)\Common Files\Intel\Shared
                            Libraries\redist\ia32_win\mpirt;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common
                            Files\Intel\Shared Libraries\redist\intel64_win\compiler;C:\Program
                            Files (x86)\Common Files\Intel\Shared Libraries\redist\ia32_win\compil
                            er;C:\Intel\OpenCL\sdk\bin\x64;C:\Intel\OpenCL\sdk\bin\x86;C:\Intel\Op
                            enCL\sdk\bin\Pin;C:\Intel\OpenCL\sdk\bin\GTPin;C:\Program
                            Files\Microsoft MPI\Bin\;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\Sys
                            tem32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program
                            Files\dotnet\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
                            Server\130\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\GtkSharp\2.12\bin;C:\CTE
                            X\UserData\miktex\bin;C:\CTEX\MiKTeX\miktex\bin;C:\CTEX\CTeX\ctex\bin;
                            C:\CTEX\CTeX\cct\bin;C:\CTEX\CTeX\ty\bin;C:\CTEX\Ghostscript\gs9.05\bi
                            n;C:\CTEX\GSview\gsview;C:\CTEX\WinEdt;C:\Program
                            Files\MATLAB\R2018a\runtime\win64;C:\Program
                            Files\MATLAB\R2018a\bin;C:\Program
                            Files\MATLAB\R2016b\runtime\win64;C:\Program
                            Files\MATLAB\R2016b\bin;C:\Program
                            Files\MATLAB\R2016b\polyspace\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Program
                            Files\Microsoft VS
                            Code\bin;C:\Users\naseer\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;
               PSMODULEPATH=C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\;C:\Program
                            Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
                            SDKs\Azure\PowerShell\ResourceManager\AzureResourceManager\;C:\Program
                            Files (x86)\Microsoft
                            SDKs\Azure\PowerShell\ServiceManagement\;C:\Program Files
                            (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\PowerShell\Storage\
           PYTHONIOENCODING=1252
         REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE=
              SSL_CERT_FILE=</p>
  
  <pre><code> active environment : base
  active env location : C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3
          shell level : 1
     user config file : C:\Users\naseer\.condarc
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>populated config files : C:\Users\naseer.condarc
            conda version : 4.5.3
      conda-build version : 3.4.1
           python version : 3.6.4.final.0
         base environment : C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3  (writable)
             channel URLs : <a href="https://conda.anaconda.org/noarch/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://conda.anaconda.org/noarch/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://conda.anaconda.org/noarch/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://conda.anaconda.org/noarch/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/free/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/free/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/free/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/free/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/pro/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/pro/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/pro/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/pro/noarch</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/win-64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/win-64</a>
                            <a href="https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/noarch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/noarch</a>
            package cache : C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\pkgs
                            C:\Users\naseer\AppData\Local\conda\conda\pkgs
         envs directories : C:\Users\naseer\Anaconda3\envs
                            C:\Users\naseer\AppData\Local\conda\conda\envs
                            C:\Users\naseer.conda\envs
                 platform : win-64
               user-agent : conda/4.5.3 requests/2.18.4 CPython/3.6.4 Windows/10 Windows/10.0.15063
            administrator : False
               netrc file : None
             offline mode : False</p>
  
  <p>V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
  CondaHTTPError: HTTP 404 NOT FOUND for url <a href="https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/noarch/repodata.json" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git/noarch/repodata.json</a>
  Elapsed: 00:01.876498
  The remote server could not find the noarch directory for the
  requested channel with url: <a href="https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git</a></p>
  
  <p>As of conda 4.3, a valid channel must contain a <code>noarch/repodata.json</code> and
  associated <code>noarch/repodata.json.bz2</code> file, even if <code>noarch/repodata.json</code> is
  empty. please request that the channel administrator create
  <code>noarch/repodata.json</code> and associated <code>noarch/repodata.json.bz2</code> files.
  $ mkdir noarch
  $ echo '{}' > noarch/repodata.json
  $ bzip2 -k noarch/repodata.json</p>
  
  <p>You will need to adjust your conda configuration to proceed.
  Use <code>conda config --show channels</code> to view your configuration's current state.
  Further configuration help can be found at <a href="https://conda.io/docs/config.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://conda.io/docs/config.html</a>.</p>
  
  <p>A reportable application error has occurred. Conda has prepared the above report.
  Upload successful.</p>
  
  <p>(base) C:\Users\naseer></p>
  
  <p><strong>My conda channel list</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>(base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;type C:\Users\naseer\.condarc
  channels:
    - https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git
    - defaults
  report_errors: true
  ssl_verify: true
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>My Effort so far</strong></p>
  
  <p>So reading error message it shows that as per the new conda version I need to create some specific files in a channel So I added those files using following commands (As I am not able to install any package so I could not install bzip2 also)</p>
  
  <p><strong>I first created necessary directories and files as told</strong> </p>
  
  <pre><code>(base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;mkdir noarch
  
  (base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;echo '{}' &gt; noarch/repodata.json
  
  (base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;echo  &gt; noarch/repodata.json.bz2
  
  (base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>then I added this new channel noarch</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>(base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;conda config --add channels noarch
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>Output from my condarc file</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>(base) C:\Users\naseer&gt;type C:\Users\naseer\.condarc
  channels:
    - noarch
    - https://github.com/manuel-calzolari/sklearn-genetic.git
    - defaults
  report_errors: true
  ssl_verify: true
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Again I tried to update conda but still got the same long error?</p>