Can't install tensorflow with reticulate via conda, virtualenv, or py

I've been running into some reticulate trouble when trying to use tensorflow. If I run a plain R session or plain Python session on the CLI I am able to install and use tensorflow.

library(reticulate)                         # loads fine
conda_create("r-reticulate")                # seems to work
conda_install("r-reticulate", "scipy")      # seems to work
conda_install("r-reticulate", "tensorflow") # fails

# Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): ...working... done
# Solving environment: ...working... failed with initial frozen solve. Retrying with flexible solve.
# Solving environment: ...working... failed with repodata from current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source.
# 
# ResolvePackageNotFound: 
#   - python=3.1
# 
# Error: one or more Python packages failed to install [error code 1]

Not sure what that's about, so then I try

use_condaenv("r-reticulate")                # seems to work 
py_install("tensorflow")                    # fails

which gives the error:

Error: could not find a Python environment for /opt/local/bin/python3.9

So then I tried:

virtualenv_create("rstudio-python-virtualenv")

which throws the error

ERROR: Failed cleaning build dir for numpy

Even though that failed, just for laughs I tried

virtualenv_install("rstudio-python-virtualenv", "tensorflow")

which throws

ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement tensorflow (from versions: none)

After some more troubleshooting I tried changing the Python interpreter specified in "Global Options" to these 2 new virtual environments created above. It had no effect on the error messages.

I also tried reticulate::py_install("tensorflow") which throws:

Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): ...working... done
Solving environment: ...working... failed with initial frozen solve. Retrying with flexible solve.
Solving environment: ...working... failed with repodata from current_repodata.json, will retry with next repodata source.

ResolvePackageNotFound: 
  - python=3.1

Error: one or more Python packages failed to install [error code 1]
>

CodePudding user response：

Apprently at least part of the problem was that conda_create was creating environments based on versions of Python that were too new for the version of tensorflow it was trying to install (i.e. Python v3.10.0). This worked:

conda_create("r-py-conda-3.6", python_version = "3.6")
conda_install(envname = "r-py-conda-3.6", 
              packages=("tensorflow"))