Install on portable hd? Possible or not?
 

This is kind of a wierd question, but here it goes....
I have an hp/compaq nx9010 laptop. I had to buy it through my school, and i have to use it for my school work. Because of this, i can't un-install windows :( So...I was wondering if it would be possible to get a firewire/usb external hd and install linux on that, then run it on my system. So there's the question...is it crazy? that's for you to decided (and hopefully tell me)
any help at all is appreciated
-greenpenguin246

Similar threads regarding booting from floppy, CD, etc abound. The consensus seems to be that the BIOS has to be set to poll devices looking for a bootable OS. If it polls the floppy first and finds an OS to boot, away it goes. If not, check the CD. Nothing there? Go on to the plugin HD. Last, try the builtin HD. Something on that order should work, if it's possible to set the BIOS to poll the plugin HD before the installed HD. If it's plugged in, boot the OS from that. If not, go on to the builtin HD and boot from that.