diff --git a/.conda/build.sh b/.conda/build.sh
index c942c713eb1..c0ec39927a1 100644
--- a/.conda/build.sh
+++ b/.conda/build.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
-# Install RMG
+# conda build script
+#
+# conda executes this script during the build process to make the rmg
+# binary
 make install
 
-# lazy "install" of everything in our 'external' folder.
-# most of which should probably be elsewhere
-cp -R ${SRC_DIR}/external ${SP_DIR}
+# The below code does not work because the Julia programming langauge is a very interesting technical demo that is completely unfit for actual
+# deployment in any real world projects.
+# 
+# RMG will be shipped as a pure python package, and then RMS installed by the user.
+#
+# export PYTHON=$PREFIX/bin/python
+# export PYTHONPATH=$SRC_DIR:$PYTHONPATH
+# python -c "import julia; julia.install(); import diffeqpy; diffeqpy.install()"
+# julia -e 'using Pkg; Pkg.add(PackageSpec(name="Functors",version="0.4.3")); Pkg.pin("Functors"); Pkg.add(PackageSpec(name="ReactionMechanismSimulator",rev="for_rmg")); using ReactionMechanismSimulator'
diff --git a/.conda/conda_build_config.yaml b/.conda/conda_build_config.yaml
index 6a0cca7f0c7..4fe9a38c7bc 100644
--- a/.conda/conda_build_config.yaml
+++ b/.conda/conda_build_config.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,3 @@ python:
 numpy:
   - 1.15
 
-# Specifically for Travis build. Should change if building locally.
-CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT:
-  - /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX10.15.sdk # [osx] 
diff --git a/.conda/meta.yaml b/.conda/meta.yaml
index 9e74a621fc1..7afdd611e9e 100644
--- a/.conda/meta.yaml
+++ b/.conda/meta.yaml
@@ -13,64 +13,165 @@ requirements:
   build:
     - {{ compiler('c') }}
   host:
+    - cairo
+    - cairocffi
+    - ffmpeg
+    - xlrd
+    - xlwt
+    - h5py
+    - graphviz
+    - markupsafe
+    - psutil
+    - ncurses
+    - suitesparse
+
+  # external software tools for chemistry
+    - coolprop
+    - cantera=2.6
+    - mopac
+    - cclib >=1.6.3,!=1.8.0
+    - openbabel >=3
+
+  # Python tools
+    - python >=3.7
+    - coverage
     - cython >=0.25.2
+    - scikit-learn
+    - scipy
+    - numpy >=1.10.0
+    - pydot
+    - jinja2
+    - jupyter
+    - pymongo
+    - pyparsing
+    - pyyaml
+    - networkx
+    - matplotlib >=1.5
+    - mpmath
+    - pandas
+
+  # packages we maintain
+    - rmgdatabase
+    - gprof2dot
     - lpsolve55
-    - numpy
-    - openbabel >=3
-    - pydas >=1.0.2
-    - pydqed >=1.0.1
+    - muq2
+    - numdifftools
+    - pydas >=1.0.3
+    - pydqed >=1.0.3
     - pyrdl
-    - python
     - quantities
-    - rdkit >=2018
-    - scipy
-    - setuptools
+    - symmetry
+    - chemprop==0.0.1
+    - rdkit >=2020.03.3.0
+
+    - liblapack =*=*mkl
   run:
     - cairo
     - cairocffi
-    - cantera >=2.3.0
-    - cclib >=1.6.3
-    - chemprop
+    - ffmpeg
+    - xlrd
+    - xlwt
+    - h5py
+    - graphviz
+    - markupsafe
+    - psutil
+    - ncurses
+    - suitesparse
+
+  # external software tools for chemistry
     - coolprop
+    - cantera=2.6
+    - mopac
+    - cclib >=1.6.3,!=1.8.0
+    - openbabel >=3
+
+  # Python tools
+    - python >=3.7
     - coverage
     - cython >=0.25.2
-    - ffmpeg
-    - gprof2dot
-    - graphviz
-    - h5py
+    - scikit-learn
+    - scipy
+    - numpy >=1.10.0
+    - pydot
     - jinja2
     - jupyter
-    - lpsolve55
-    - markupsafe
+    - pymongo
+    - pyparsing
+    - pyyaml
+    - networkx
     - matplotlib >=1.5
-    - mopac
     - mpmath
+    - pandas
+
+  # packages we maintain
+    - rmgdatabase
+    - gprof2dot
+    - lpsolve55
     - muq2
-    - networkx
-    - nose
     - numdifftools
-    - {{ pin_compatible('numpy') }}
-    - openbabel >=3
-    - pandas
+    - pydas >=1.0.3
+    - pydqed >=1.0.3
+    - pyrdl
+    - quantities
+    - symmetry
+    - chemprop==0.0.1
+    - rdkit >=2020.03.3.0
+
+    - liblapack =*=*mkl
+test:
+  requires:
+    - cairo
+    - cairocffi
+    - ffmpeg
+    - xlrd
+    - xlwt
+    - h5py
+    - graphviz
+    - markupsafe
     - psutil
-    - pydas >=1.0.2
+    - ncurses
+    - suitesparse
+
+  # external software tools for chemistry
+    - coolprop
+    - cantera=2.6
+    - mopac
+    - cclib >=1.6.3,!=1.8.0
+    - openbabel >=3
+
+  # Python tools
+    - python >=3.7
+    - coverage
+    - cython >=0.25.2
+    - scikit-learn
+    - scipy
+    - numpy >=1.10.0
     - pydot
-    - pydqed >=1.0.1
+    - jinja2
+    - jupyter
     - pymongo
     - pyparsing
-    - pyrdl
-    - python
     - pyyaml
-    - pyzmq
+    - networkx
+    - matplotlib >=1.5
+    - mpmath
+    - pandas
+
+  # packages we maintain
+    - rmgdatabase
+    - gprof2dot
+    - lpsolve55
+    - muq2
+    - numdifftools
+    - pydas >=1.0.3
+    - pydqed >=1.0.3
+    - pyrdl
     - quantities
-    - rdkit >=2018
-    - rmgdatabase >=3.2.0
-    - scikit-learn
-    - scipy
     - symmetry
-    - xlrd
-    - xlwt
-test:
+    - chemprop==0.0.1
+    - rdkit >=2020.03.3.0
+
+    - liblapack =*=*mkl
   source_files:
     - 'examples/rmg/superminimal'
     - 'examples/arkane/networks/n-butanol'
@@ -78,8 +179,8 @@ test:
     - rmgpy
     - arkane
   commands:
-    - python-jl rmg.py examples/rmg/superminimal/input.py
-    - python arkane.py examples/arkane/networks/n-butanol
+    - rmg.py examples/rmg/superminimal/input.py
+    - arkane.py examples/arkane/networks/n-butanol
 
 about:
   home: https://github.com/ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-Py
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 5155a74b099..5080ac20630 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ dependencies:
   - conda-forge::cclib >=1.6.3,!=1.8.0
   - conda-forge::openbabel >= 3
 
-# general-purpose external software tools
-  - conda-forge::julia>=1.8.5,!=1.9.0
-  - conda-forge::pyjulia >=0.6
-
 # Python tools
   - python >=3.7
   - coverage
@@ -75,21 +71,20 @@ dependencies:
   - matplotlib >=1.5
   - mpmath
   - pandas
+  - conda-forge::numdifftools
 
 # packages we maintain
   - rmg::gprof2dot
   - rmg::lpsolve55
   - rmg::muq2
-  - rmg::numdifftools
   - rmg::pydas >=1.0.3
   - rmg::pydqed >=1.0.3
   - rmg::pyrdl
-  - rmg::pyrms
   - rmg::quantities
   - rmg::symmetry
 
 # packages we would like to stop maintaining (and why)
-  - rmg::diffeqpy
+  #- rmg::diffeqpy
   # we should use the official verison https://github.com/SciML/diffeqpy),
   # rather than ours (which is only made so that we can get it from conda)
   # It is only on pip, so we will need to do something like:
@@ -103,8 +98,7 @@ dependencies:
   # We should use the official channel, not sure how difficult this
   # change will be.
 
-# conda mutex metapackage
-  - nomkl
+  - liblapack =*=*mkl
 
 # additional packages that are required, but not specified here (and why)
   # pydqed, pydas, mopac, and likely others require a fortran compiler (specifically gfortran)
diff --git a/rmg.py b/rmg.py
index 26c27c00a4d..0b27098b816 100644
--- a/rmg.py
+++ b/rmg.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python-jl
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 
 ###############################################################################
 #                                                                             #
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 604a856eb19..17fdab4a888 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@
     'scripts/standardizeModelSpeciesNames.py',
     'scripts/thermoEstimator.py',
     'scripts/isotopes.py',
-    'testing/databaseTest.py',
 ]
 
 modules = []
diff --git a/utilities.py b/utilities.py
index c8e74258186..f84963a6324 100644
--- a/utilities.py
+++ b/utilities.py
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ def update_headers():
     start of each file, be sure to double-check the results to make sure
     important lines aren't accidentally overwritten.
     """
-    shebang = """#!/usr/bin/env python-jl
+    shebang = """#!/usr/bin/env python
 
 """