Do you need any special equipment to roast coffee? How many batches do you screw up while learning? How long does it take?
My brother has been roasting his own coffee for a long time and has given me several tips, etc.
Currently, I use a stainless steel "Whirly Pop" (yes, the popcorn popper) to make mine. He started with a heavy stainless steel broiler pan in the oven (that I bought for him when I was around 18--at his request! He still loves it 20 years later, probably the most use out of a gift that I've given, anyway...) I've heard some people use air poppers (again, popcorn popper), but that many don't get hot enough if you want a darker roast. My brother has some really nice (over $300) coffee roasters. But, there are many ways to do it, and many cheap ways to do it (even just using a pan you already have and stirring constantly, or a baking sheet, etc). I'm not sure I'll spend the money on the roaster ("happiness curve"), but I do look forward to when I really figure out exactly what I want (a good espresso coffee).
With the Whirly Pop, I stir constantly, and if I start with 1 cup (by volume, close to 5 oz weight), it takes me about 12 minutes. If I start with 2 cups, it the time about doubles.
Start with small batches and play a little to see what you like. By my fourth batch, I had it pretty well sighted in (until I doubled the amount I made...) as far as temp, time, color, etc.
Even so, my first batch was good, and I was able to reduce the amount of sugar I used in my coffee. I'm not at my brother's level yet (he can make it so good that I can drink it black), but he has years of experience on me.
I got the tips from him, and then watched some youtube videos.