We're currently on ArcGIS Pro 3.7.1 and are still encountering challenges with Python environment cloning. This has been an issue since ArcPro began. Cloning from within ArcGIS Pro does not appear to work reliably in our environment. The process starts, creates a new folder, and then completes almost immediately without successfully creating the clone. We've tested multiple file locations with the same result.
It's possible that there is something specific within our organization's security or system configuration preventing the cloning process from completing successfully. If that's the case, it would be helpful to have an alternative deployment option that doesn't rely on users creating their own clone.
One suggestion would be for ArcGIS Pro to install a writable clone by default alongside the read-only arcgispro-py3 environment. For example, during installation it could create a standard clone at:
C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin\Python\envs\Arcgispro-py3Clone
and maintain it during upgrades.
Today, our workaround is to manually copy the environment folder and then browse to it within ArcGIS Pro to add it as an environment. While workable, it's an extra step that many users find confusing. Plus we have to do it on every upgrade as the clone becomes stale.
Having a standard, pre-configured clone would simplify package management considerably. It would also be beneficial if ArcGIS Pro updates could automatically synchronize core package updates from the default environment into this managed clone while preserving user-installed packages. This would eliminate the need to repeatedly create new clones and reinstall additional packages after each ArcGIS Pro upgrade.
Retaining the existing read-only environment is important, but providing a supported writable clone out of the box would create a much smoother experience for organizations that regularly extend the Python environment.
