Getting started Roasting

[gravel]

A hot air popcorn popper is an inexpensive way to check if you'll enjoy it! Make sure to select one with the air gents on the side (like an old West Bend Popcorn Pumper or a Poppery 2). Don't use extension cords. Be prepared for a lot of noise, some smoke, and chaff.

Smoke: I roasted in the kitchen with the vents on high. This helped a bit, but didn't remove all the smoke. My wife and kids like the smell, so it's not a big deal to them. Be prepared to fan the smoke detector.
Chaff: I placed the popcorn popper chute facing into the sink. Some people use wet paper towels inside the sink to catch the chaff. I wet the sides of the sink and rinsed it down the garbage disposal. Whatever works in your situation.

Other tips:
I roasted only the amount of popcorn it would hold (around a 1/4 cup) at each time and then let the machine cool down a bit.
Have a clean cookie sheet handy. When you are at the end of your roast, you can dump the beans on the sheet and spread them out to speed cooling.

Forgive my shotgun approach. I'm at work and I've been interrupted a few times typing this post.