If you want to view a PDF file which is available on the web, simply clicking on the link should work (your web browser should automatically run the acroread program). If it doesn't work, right-click on the link and choose ``Save Link As...'' to download the PDF file to your home directory.
If you receive a PDF file through email, your email client may be able to launch acroread and view the file automatically, but it's more likely that you'll have to save it to your home directory. If you are unsure how to do this, see my web page on sharing files.
Once you have a PDF file in your filespace, there are three ways of viewing or printing it. Under Linux, you can run acroread or gv (the syntax is ``acroread file.pdf'' or ``gv file.pdf''). Under Windows, double-clicking on the file will launch the Windows version of acroread. To print the file, choose the ``Print'' option from the menus of the viewer you are using. If you have trouble reading or printing the file with one tool, try another.
If you need to create a PDF file, the command ``ps2pdf'' will convert a PostScript file to PDF. The syntax for this command is ``ps2pdf input.ps output.pdf''. Sometimes PDF files created with this command will look a bit fuzzy on screen, but much clearer when printed out. If you're using TeX or LaTeX, it helps to create the PostScript file with ``dvips -Ppdf''.
If the result of ps2pdf isn't good enough, or if you need to convert a Word document, use tet (the Windows XP machine outside my office). To convert a file, open it in the appropriate application and print it to ``Acrobat Distiller''.