Installing Ubuntu In Windows
 

I was wondering, Is it possible to install the newest version of Ubuntu from the Ubuntu CD onto a external HDD while windows is still running? When I try to install Ubuntu running by itself it tells me theres a error with re-partition the drive. The drive works perfectly fine for me and will boot up a OS since it is booted up before the normal HDD's.

Anyways I re-partitioned the drive as a NTFS after Ubuntu told me there was a error when it tried.

So if anyone can place their 2 cents on this subject would be awesome :-p

Oh ya the windows OS I'd be installing ubuntu with is vista.

You can't install Linux on a NTFS filesystem... well, maybe you can, but it's a really bad idea. Let the ubuntu installer format it as ext3. Linux needs a linux filesystem.

Is there any data on the ntfs partition?
Are you trying to shrink it, or should ubuntu take up the whole drive?

If you just want to try it, and you don't care if it's slow and doesn't support 3d drivers and the like, you can install ubuntu in something like virtualbox or vmware (in a virtual machine running on windows). That's not so good for productive use though.

oh, so it wont install as a ntfs? what about as a fat32 or does it have to be ext3??

Linux has to be installed to a native filesystem. Foreign (MS) filesystems do not support UNIX style permissions. Also you cannot rely on some reverse-engineered filesystem driver as it is with NTFS.

here is the problem. The kernel that you use has to have all the drivers installed all ready in order to see the usb drive. I use slackware and the name of the kernel that comes with it is called 2.6.21.5-smp-huge-smp. this kernel will boot and see all your devices. I am not sure what flavor of kernel Ubuntu distro you have. The reson it is called huges is because it is around 4mbs.HUGE Why because in order to load a O/S the kernel must be able to run the hardware.
and todays kernels 2.6.18 and above try to load all the stuff you need before starting the system. The other problem is if you have to big of a kernel this happened to me when I built some that where to big for a small system and it would miss load some stuff for the hardware but we are talking 6mb kernels LOL. I am not sure this will help you but the best way to load a system on a usb drive is to make sure your computer will boot from a usb drive set it up in CMOS (bios) to boot from a usb drive. b4 you do that load the ubuntu live cd and tell it to install to the usb drive (sda1 or sdax what ever the sda is.). Linux show usb drives a sda) scsi ) Small cumputerised sysitem intergrated) make sure you have a swap file partition on your usb or your hard drive. when it ask to install grub. tell it to install on the usb drive witch is sda1. be fore you install on the usb drive sda x you will need to partion and format i use the ext3 is is good stuff. if you click just install from the booting the instal disk it will wipe all your drives out be careful.

I have no clue what you just said, but i do know that its installing atm on the EXT HDD at 56% atm. I did tell it however to format the EXT HDD if it needs to. Told it to stay away from the internal HDDs all together.

My bios i setup yesterday to load from the CD drive then the EXT Drive then load from the internal drives.

thank you guys for your help, i am now running on ubuntu. Now i just need to get a better internet connection to install all these updates. lol