diff --git a/make b/make
index bb752bf..4ccaaf9 100644
--- a/make
+++ b/make
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Modifying Parameters, Adding Functionality:
 
 '
 
-VERSION_MAKE="2"
+VERSION_MAKE="3" # micromamaba
 
 me="${BASH_SOURCE[0]:-${(%):-%x}}" # bash and zsh/ksh compliant
 builtin cd "$(dirname "$me")"
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ mkdocs_path="${mkdocs_path:-$PROJECT}"
 mkdocs_port="${mkdocs_port:-8000}"
 d_cover_html="${d_cover_html:-build/coverage/overall}"
 fn_changelog="${fn_changelog:-docs/about/changelog.md.lp.py}"
+PROJECT="${PROJECT:-$(basename "$here")}"
 set +a
 
 skip_func_after_hook="42"
@@ -47,6 +48,13 @@ helper_funcs () {
         if [[ "$?" != "$skip_func_after_hook" ]]; then call "$@"; fi
         hook post "$@"
     }
+    function download {
+        type wget 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null && {
+             wget -O "$2" "$1" 
+             return $?
+        }
+        curl -L -o "$2" "$1"
+    }
 
     function hook  {
         local fn="scripts/$2_$1.sh"
@@ -78,18 +86,19 @@ helper_funcs () {
 
 
 
+    function conda_root  { echo "${conda_root:-$MAMBA_ROOT_PREFIX}"; }
 
     function activate_venv {
         # must be set in environ:
         local conda_env="$(conda_root)/envs/${PROJECT}_py${pyver}"
         test -e "$conda_env" || { nfo "No $conda_env"; return 1; }
-        test -z "$CONDA_SHLVL" && conda_src
+        test -z "$CONDA_SHLVL" && { micromamba activate || return 1; }
         test "$CONDA_PREFIX" = "${conda_env:-x}" && return 0
-        while [ -n "$CONDA_PREFIX" ]; do conda deactivate; done
-        nfo 'Adding conda root env $PATH'
+        while [ -n "$CONDA_PREFIX" ]; do micromamba deactivate; done
+        nfo 'Adding micromamba root env $PATH'
         export PATH="$(conda_root)/bin:$PATH"
         nfo Activating "$conda_env"
-        conda activate "$conda_env"
+        micromamba activate "$conda_env"
     }
 
     function set_version {
@@ -100,13 +109,8 @@ helper_funcs () {
         nfo "Say ./make release <version>"
         return 1
     }
-    function conda_root  { echo "$HOME/${conda_root:-miniconda3}"; }
 
-    function conda_src  {
-        source "$(conda_root)/etc/profile.d/conda.sh";
-        conda config --set always_yes yes # --set changeps1 no
-        conda config --add channels conda-forge
-    }
+    function ci-conda-root-env { ci-conda-base-env "$@"; } # backwards compat
     
     function make {
         test -z "$1" && {
@@ -179,7 +183,7 @@ function self-update {
     run_self_update "$@"
 }
 
-function ci-conda-root-env { # creates the root conda env if not present yet
+function ci-conda-base-env { # creates the root conda env if not present yet
     source scripts/conda.sh && make_conda_root_env "$@"
 }
 
diff --git a/scripts/conda.sh b/scripts/conda.sh
index 6f0e9bb..e865ea2 100644
--- a/scripts/conda.sh
+++ b/scripts/conda.sh
@@ -1,27 +1,28 @@
 root_tools="tree fd-find ripgrep poetry"
 
 function make_conda_root_env { # creates the root conda env if not present yet
-    # main conda bin is in path
-    local p="$(conda_root)"
-    test -e "$p" && {
-        nfo "Already present: $p"
-        return 0
-    }
-    wget https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -O miniconda.sh
-    chmod +x miniconda.sh
-    ./miniconda.sh -b -p "$p" 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null && echo 'conda root installed to '$p''
-    conda_src
-    eval conda install -y -q $root_tools ${conda_root_tools:-}
-    ls -a "$p"
+    type micromamba && return
+    echo -e "\x1b[1mInstalling micromamba.\x1b[0m"
+    echo "Please confirm all question unless you know what you are doing."
+    "${SHELL}" <(curl -L micro.mamba.pm/install.sh)
+    call . "$HOME/.$(basename $SHELL)rc"
+    call micromamba activate
+    call eval micromamba install --yes $root_tools ${conda_root_tools:-}
+    call micromamba info
+    nfo "Next, run \x1b[1mmake ci-conda-py-env\x1b[0m"
 }
+
 function make_conda_py_env { # creates the venv for the project and poetry installs
     # main conda bin is in path
     local n="${PROJECT}_py${pyver}"
     local p="$(conda_root)/envs/$n"
-    conda_src
-    test -e "$p" || eval conda create -q -n "${n}" python="${pyver}" ${conda_project_tools:-} $*
-    activate_venv || return 1
-    poetry install
-    conda info
-    ls -a "$(conda_root)/envs/"
+    call micromamba activate
+    test -e "$p" || {
+        echo "Installing $p (with tools: $conda_project_tools)"
+        call eval micromamba create --yes -q -n "${n}" python="${pyver}" ${conda_project_tools:-} $*
+    }
+    call activate_venv || return 1
+    call poetry install
+    call ls -a "$(conda_root)/envs/"
+    call micromamba list
 }