This chapter describes how to set up the PVM software package, how to configure a simple virtual machine, and how to compile and run the example programs supplied with PVM. The chapter is written as a tutorial, so the reader can follow along with the book beside the terminal. The first part of the chapter describes the straightforward use of PVM and the most common errors and problems in set up and running. The latter part of the chapter describes some of the more advanced options available to customize the reader's PVM environment.