Docker run giving 'No module named 'pandas'' - docker

Question

This is my docker file
FROM public.ecr.aws/i7d4o1h8/miniconda3:4.10.3p0
RUN pip install --upgrade pip
COPY condaEnv.yml .
RUN conda env create -f condaEnv.yml python=3.9.7
RUN pip install sagemaker-inference
COPY inference_code.py /opt/ml/code/
ENV SAGEMAKER_SUBMIT_DIRECTORY /opt/ml/code/
ENV SAGEMAKER_PROGRAM inference_code.py
ENTRYPOINT ["python", "/opt/ml/code/inference_code.py"]
When I run docker build with the command docker build -t docker_name ., it is successful, at the end I see Successfully tagged docker_name:latest
But when I am trying to run the docker image it gives
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/opt/ml/code/inference_code.py", line 4, in <module>
import pandas as pd
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pandas'
But in the condaEnv.yml file I have the pandas defined as
name: plato_vrar
channels:
- conda-forge
- defaults
dependencies:
- pandas=1.3.4
- pip=21.2.4
prefix: plato_vrar/
What am I missing here?

Answer 1

In anaconda, creating an environment means only the environment is prepared. You need also to activete it using conda activate <ENV_NAME> then python is correctly linked to the anaconda version rather than the system version. Refer to the conda document for more details: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html#activating-an-environment