add file back and reword it so its clear this is directed at platform setup

Author: kcpevey

docs/docs/how-tos/nebari-environment-management.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+id: nebari-environment-management
+title: Setup Environment for Deployment
+description: Best Practices for Managing Your Python Environment
+---
+
+# Nebari Deployment Python Environment Setup
+
+To configure and deploy the Nebari platform, you'll first need to set up your python environment. 
+
+Nebari configuration and deployment is highly dependent on the version of the Nebari CLI that you have active when you run `nebari` commands.  A such, we highly recommend [installing Conda](https://docs.anaconda.com/free/anaconda/install/) for managing isolated Python environments, especially when working on more than one Nebari deployment from the same machine or using [Nebari extensions][nebari-extension-system].
+
+Once installed, you can use [manage environments](https://conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html#managing-environments) in different ways.
+
+This is a simple way to set up a new Conda environment named `nebari0` with a specific Nebari version and exactly one extension installed.  This `nebari0` environment will store all of our packages, including those installed with `pip` because *when **pip** is installed into an active conda environment, packages which are then installed with pip will not be saved in the global namespace*.  This especially critical when working with extensions, because `nebari` will detect and apply any extensions installed in your Python environment when it runs.
+
+```
+conda create -n nebari0
+conda activate nebari0
+conda install python==3.12 pip # or python version of your choice
+pip install nebari==2024.1.1
+# Example plugin that can also be installed
+pip install nebari-plugin-self-registration==0.0.9
+```
+
+<!-- internal links -->
+
+[nebari-extension-system]: /how-tos/nebari-extension-system.md

docs/sidebars.js

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ module.exports = {
         "how-tos/nebari-kubernetes",
         "how-tos/nebari-local",
         "how-tos/nebari-stages-directory",
+        "how-tos/nebari-environment-management",
         "how-tos/nebari-destroy",
         "how-tos/domain-registry",
         "how-tos/debug-nebari",