[BUG] CI failing for Conda tests on Ubuntu and macOS

[rpreen]

There has been a recent change in the GitHub runners that has broken the CI tests for conda on Ubuntu and macOS, however it still works for Windows.

The error:

2026-06-24T00:23:23.7220538Z ── Error ('test-install_acro.R:7:3'): install_acro installs 'acro' in the specified environment ──
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7221523Z Error in `stop_no_virtualenv_starter(version = version, python = python)`: Suitable Python installation for creating a venv not found.
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7222234Z   Requested Python: /usr/share/miniconda/envs/r-acro/bin/python3
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7222675Z Please install Python with one of following methods:
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7223058Z - https://github.com/rstudio/python-builds/
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7223466Z - reticulate::install_python(version = '<version>')
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7223809Z Backtrace:
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7224012Z     ▆
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7224556Z  1. └─acro:::install_venv(envname = test_envname) at test-install_acro.R:7:3
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7225180Z  2.   └─reticulate::virtualenv_create(...) at acro/R/acro_init.R:38:5
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7225763Z  3.     └─reticulate:::check_can_be_virtualenv_starter(python, version)
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7226403Z  4.       └─reticulate:::stop_no_virtualenv_starter(version = version, python = python)
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7226716Z 
2026-06-24T00:23:23.7226860Z [ FAIL 1 | WARN 0 | SKIP 0 | PASS 47 ]

It looks like the real problem is the following test is hard-coded to call the virtual environment install when it should be calling the conda install when on conda.

ACRO-R/tests/testthat/test-install_acro.R

Line 7 in 1daa082

install_venv(envname = test_envname)

There are separate functions for installing via venv and conda:

ACRO-R/R/acro_init.R

Line 24 in 1daa082

install_conda <- function(envname) { # nocov

ACRO-R/R/acro_init.R

Line 34 in 1daa082

install_venv <- function(envname = acro_venv) {

[rpreen]

Note that the init function already traverses this path and uses the correct environment - so either the test should use the init function or if we already test that then it can be removed?

ACRO-R/R/acro_init.R

Lines 76 to 96 in 1daa082

	acro_init <- function(config = "default", suppress = FALSE, envname = acro_venv, use_conda = NULL) {
	# define the environment
	use_conda <- get_use_conda(use_conda)
	# initialise the environment
	if (!reticulate::py_available(initialize = FALSE)) {
	if (use_conda) { # nocov
	install_conda(envname) # nocov
	reticulate::use_condaenv(envname, required = TRUE) # nocov
	} else {
	install_venv(envname)
	reticulate::use_virtualenv(envname, required = TRUE)
	}
	}
	# import the acro package and instantiate an object
	acro <- reticulate::import("acro", delay_load = TRUE)
	acroEnv$ac <- acro$ACRO(config = config, suppress = suppress)
	invisible(acroEnv$ac)
	}