Successfully installed first Linux distro on my '04 Averatec 3200!

I sidestepped partition issues by using a USB 2.0 portable hard drive (Western Digital 120 GB). I think the following steps would work for many laptop installs w/ XP SP2:
1. Plug the HD in to the USB 2.0 port.
2. Start the computer; it should recognize the HD upon normal boot.
3. Insert the distro CD and install as if to your XP machine.
4. After several steps you will come to a "Partition" screen; select the "customize" button; then select the portable drive displayed.
5.Finish the install and restart: you will have a choice of systems presented to you. The GRUB installer will be on the XP machine (I'm sure there are other ways to do this, like install GRUB in the Master Boot Record?).

Only issue is that you must always have the HD plugged in, even to run XP (since the GRUB installer has reconfigured it).

Please help me tweak these steps, as I have several others interested in exploring Linux with all of its great features. I am really sold on this great OS!

there are other ways of doing it.

if your intention is merely to show linux....use a live cd....no need to install so no partition worries.

2) I find your shortening of usb hd to hd....not easy to read....consider next time just calling it usb after defining it

but that leads to issues you may not realise.

not every laptop allows usb devices to be in the boot order....so some of your friends may need to flash their bios....which altho I am skilled at doing it....is not always easy for beginners.

so again the live cd is a better option.

3) if you can afford a cheap usb stick....you can load linux onto that...but again each laptop may not accept that boot option.

let me know what you are intending if I have mis-read you.

4) generally speaking I can offer advice on grub but I will wait to see what your response is....go for the easiest option first.

looking ahead...not all laptops can have linux on their drive without serious reseach.

the linux term...hardware compatability list...HCL is what you may want to research for each friend ....see the right hand side