Add installation instructions

README.md

@@ -8,6 +8,67 @@ _This will show how to download the installer, install a minimal Python
 environment, and start Jupyerlab.  The installation will be (nearly) identical
 for a local computer or for any Linux / Unix remote computer._
 
+### Download and install Miniconda3
+
+_(No matter if you want to work with Python 3, which you probably should, or
+Python 2, the base environment should be Python 3.)
+
+To download the latest installer, run
+
+- on Linux:
+  ```bash
+  curl https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -o Miniconda3.sh
+
+  ```
+
+- on MaxOSX:
+  ```bash
+  curl https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh -o Miniconda3.sh
+  ```
+
+To install, run (on both, Linux and MacOSX):
+```bash
+bash Miniconda3.sh -b -p ${HOME}/miniconda3
+```
+
+(If this fails, check
+<https://conda.io/docs/user-guide/install/#regular-installation>, make sure to
+follow the instructions for _Miniconda**3**_ and do _**not**_ make this
+installation your standard Python.)
+
+
+### Activating the base environment and installing Jupyterlab
+
+To activate the base environment, run:
+```bash
+source ${HOME}/miniconda3/bin/activate base
+```
+
+Then (and in the same terminal), install `jupyterlab` and `nb_conda_kernels`,
+by running:
+```bash
+conda install jupyterlab nb_conda_kernels
+```
+
+
+### Test the installation
+
+After activating the base environment (see above), run:
+```bash
+jupyter lab --no-browser
+```
+
+This will print a few lines to your screen and finally show something like:
+```
+Copy/paste this URL into your browser when you connect for the first time,
+    to login with a token:
+        http://localhost:8888/?token=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
+
+```
+
+Copy the URL (from your shell!) to your web browser.  You should see Jupyter
+lab.
+
 
 ## Add a scientific Python environment and use it
 
@@ -26,5 +87,9 @@ directly access its address._
 - `conda` is the package manager of the [Anaconda Python
   distribution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_(Python_distribution))
 
+- [conda environments](https://conda.io/docs/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html)
+  are collections of packages / versions that make it possible to switch
+  between different sets of software.
+
 - [Jupyter lab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Jupyter#Jupyter_Lab) is
   an integrated computing environment