question..

[ants83]

im a newbie to linux if i installed linux(dont know what version??) on an external hard drive would it boot ok?saves me messing around with windows. thanks for any help.

 

[MrWhippy]

i strongly recommend your first stop be a "live cd". plenty of distributions to choose from, but KNOPPIX or ubuntu live disks will be a good start point.

boots into linux OS straight off the cd, never touches the hard disk.
once you've had a play and decided you like it, then you can look to install onto a drive. yep it is possible to install onto an external drive and boot from it (dependent on the linux distribution and possibly the age of your hardware).

have a look at Damn Small Linux, tiny 50Mb image works as a live cd or can be booted from usb memory stick. works well for basic internet and office tasks.

 

[ants83]

ok thanks ill give that a try!