🌱 Initial conda environment (#1)

Add conda dependency specification file and getting started instructions in the main README.md. The conda environment.yml is paired with a conda-lock.yml lockfile for full reproducibility. Main README.md contains setup instructions to install NVIDIA GPU Direct Storage and the conda virtual environment locally.

README.md

@@ -35,6 +35,81 @@ data pipelines. Learn more as the Pangeo community develops tutorials at
 about the challenges and ideas on scaling machine learning in the geosciences
 with the [Pangeo ML Working Group](https://pangeo.io/meeting-notes.html#working-group-meetings).
 
+
+# Getting started
+
+## Installation
+
+### NVIDIA GPU Direct Storage
+
+Follow instructions at
+https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html#install-gpudirect-storage
+to install NVIDIA GPU Direct Storage (GDS).
+
+Verify that NVIDIA GDS has been installed properly following
+https://docs.nvidia.com/gpudirect-storage/troubleshooting-guide/index.html#verify-suc-install.
+E.g. if you are on Linux and have CUDA 12.2 installed, run:
+
+    /usr/local/cuda-12.2/gds/tools/gdscheck.py -p
+
+Alternatively, if you have your conda environment setup below, follow
+https://xarray.dev/blog/xarray-kvikio#appendix-ii--making-sure-gds-is-working
+and run:
+
+    mamba activate foss4g2023oceania
+    curl -s https://github.com/raw/rapidsai/kvikio/branch-23.08/python/benchmarks/single-node-io.py | python
+
+### Basic
+
+To help out with development, start by cloning this [repo-url](/../../)
+
+    git clone <repo-url>
+
+Then I recommend [using mamba](https://mamba.readthedocs.io/en/latest/installation.html)
+to install the dependencies.
+A virtual environment will also be created with Python and
+[JupyterLab](https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab) installed.
+
+    cd foss4g2023oceania
+    mamba env create --file environment.yml
+
+Activate the virtual environment first.
+
+    mamba activate foss4g2023oceania
+
+Finally, double-check that the libraries have been installed.
+
+    mamba list
+
+### Advanced
+
+This is for those who want full reproducibility of the virtual environment.
+Create a virtual environment with just Python and conda-lock installed first.
+
+    mamba create --name foss4g2023oceania python=3.10 conda-lock=2.3.0
+    mamba activate foss4g2023oceania
+
+Generate a unified [`conda-lock.yml`](https://github.com/conda/conda-lock) file
+based on the dependency specification in `environment.yml`. Use only when
+creating a new `conda-lock.yml` file or refreshing an existing one.
+
+    conda-lock lock --mamba --file environment.yml --platform linux-64 --with-cuda=11.8
+
+Installing/Updating a virtual environment from a lockile. Use this to sync your
+dependencies to the exact versions in the `conda-lock.yml` file.
+
+    conda-lock install --mamba --name foss4g2023oceania conda-lock.yml
+
+See also https://conda.github.io/conda-lock/output/#unified-lockfile for more
+usage details.
+
+
+# References
+
+## Links
+
+- https://xarray.dev/blog/xarray-kvikio
+
 ## License
 
 All code in this repository is licensed under