diff --git a/src/main/main.ts b/src/main/main.ts
index f15c7b786d2ee725cf2f8779145f9a666b48fd15..3dd73fe879dbb43fc229e3d49e2959253f65e9c3 100644
--- a/src/main/main.ts
+++ b/src/main/main.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   checkIfShellCommandExists,
   checkIfCondaEnvironmentExists,
   checkDependencies,
+  checkIfCondaBinExists,
 } from './util';
 
 // ////////////
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ ipcMain.handle('server:install_install-dependencies', async (event) => {
 });
 
 ipcMain.handle('server:checkIfCondaExists', async (event) => {
-  const r = checkIfShellCommandExists('conda');
+  const r = checkIfCondaBinExists();
   console.log('conda exists', r);
   return r;
 });
@@ -101,10 +102,6 @@ ipcMain.handle('server:checkIfCondaEnvironmentExists', async (event) => {
   return envList;
 });
 
-ipcMain.handle('server:checkIfUvicornExists', async (event) => {
-  return checkIfShellCommandExists('uvicorn');
-});
-
 ipcMain.handle('server:checkDependencies', async (event) => {
   return await checkDependencies();
 });
diff --git a/src/main/util.ts b/src/main/util.ts
index 083208405bbfcccb409dbe689a68576ad7def73e..371eff19b65c2bd41312501732854a7bd8b9d00b 100644
--- a/src/main/util.ts
+++ b/src/main/util.ts
@@ -46,13 +46,11 @@ export function startLocalServer() {
 
   const options = {
     cwd: transformerLabDir,
-    // The following two options allow it to keep running after parent is closed
-    detached: true,
     stdio: ['ignore', out, err],
     shell: '/bin/bash',
   };
   console.log('Starting local server at', mainFile);
-  localServer = spawn('bash', [mainFile], options);
+  localServer = spawn('bash', ['-l', mainFile], options);
 
   console.log('Local server started with pid', localServer.pid);
 
@@ -140,16 +138,23 @@ export function checkIfShellCommandExists(command: string) {
   }
 }
 
+export function checkIfCondaBinExists() {
+  // Look for the file ~/miniconda3/bin/conda
+  const condaBin = path.join(homeDir, 'miniconda3/bin/conda');
+  if (fs.existsSync(condaBin)) {
+    return true;
+  } else {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 export async function checkDependencies() {
   // First activate the transformerlab environment
   // Then run pip list
   // Then compare the output to the list of dependencies
   // If any are missing, return the missing ones
   // If all are present, manually check if the uvicorn command is present
-  const uvicornExists = checkIfShellCommandExists('uvicorn');
-
-  const command =
-    'eval "$(conda shell.bash hook)" && conda activate transformerlab && pip list --format json';
+  const command = '~/.transformerlab/src/install.sh list_installed_packages';
   const options = { shell: '/bin/bash' };
   const { stdout, stderr } = await awaitExec(command, options).catch((err) => {
     console.log('Error running pip list', err);
@@ -187,11 +192,11 @@ export async function checkDependencies() {
 export async function checkIfCondaEnvironmentExists() {
   const options = { shell: '/bin/bash' };
   console.log('Checking if Conda environment "transformerlab" exists');
-  const { stdout, stderr } = await awaitExec(`conda env list`, options).catch(
-    (err) => {
-      console.log('Error running conda env list', err);
-    }
-  );
+  const command = '~/.transformerlab/src/install.sh list_environments';
+
+  const { stdout, stderr } = await awaitExec(command, options).catch((err) => {
+    console.log('Error running conda env list', err);
+  });
   if (stdout) console.log('stdout:', stdout);
   if (stderr) console.error('stderr:', stderr);
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/Connect/LocalConnection.tsx b/src/renderer/components/Connect/LocalConnection.tsx
index 999ba8167c037f73cac85f13c311bc1ecc19ed89..98991d20f39dc6d1628c655b5c7fd133d7f4d25b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/Connect/LocalConnection.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/Connect/LocalConnection.tsx
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ function InstallStepper({ setServer }) {
         </InstallStep>
         <InstallStep
           thisStep={Steps.indexOf('CHECK_IF_CONDA_INSTALLED')}
-          title="Check if Conda is Installed"
+          title="Check if Conda is Installed at ~/miniconda3/"
           activeStep={activeStep}
           setActiveStep={setActiveStep}
         >