need desperate help

[merchantnavy_1981]

hi,

i am capt vivek. need assistance in graduating from xp to ubuntu.

1.i want to start working on ubuntu.
2.i have never worked with linux.
3.i want to keep xp till the time i am sure ubuntu serves all my needs and is compatible with all my hardware.
4.initially i would like to have dual boot where possibly i want ubuntu on my external hd.

can anyone help plz i shall b very grateful.i have bootable cd from digit magazine
digit magazine thats my source of info what ever simple little i do on computers.
while trying to change booting sequence boot from usb option does not exist on sys.
can i have ubuntu on my ext hdd some how.

my system specs . i am on celeron d 2.66gz, 256 ram . insatallation is not going through, the cd boots gives me 6 or seven options with ubuntu screen. i go for first that is install. screen is black with cursor bliking on top left. and error code down below. says some err 0000 and some thing more to it if u want i will again do it and quote the whole thing to u.

if u expect me to upgrade my system tell me some thing nice because these vendors keep fooling . i dont need power house . i dont game on my sys. i don go 3 d desgning. i am more into productivity softwares and pim softwares, office softwares. more so power point presentations some moveis thats all. its more of personal pc its compaq.

[Jasper84]

For one, Ubuntu is necessarily for everyone.

my system specs . i am on celeron d 2.66gz, 256 ram . insatallation is not going through, the cd boots gives me 6 or seven options with ubuntu screen.
Not entirely sure what you mean. I think it is the initial screen offering Memtest, start-or-install, and a bunch more. I recommend you start start-or-install for the live-cd so you can look around a little.
There is a install button on the desktop, but of course beware what you do after clicking it. The non-manual options will either overwrite your XP or split its partition to . I am not sure, but i must assume that both can damage XP, for a second partition, part split off must not have any data on it!
I am not sure how one can install on an external harddrive. It would be handy, doing it that way, as the XP partition is untouched. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=625441&highlight=external+hard+drive+install They say it would be terribly slow. I did read something somewhere about installing on a second internal harddisk, though. But the thread is not properly answerred yet.
As for upgrading your system, probably some more memory wouldnt hurt. 256MB ram is a bit on the low side relative to 2.66GHz.

I suggest you use the forum search more. You will get better answers if you look like you have attempted to answer your own questions. Also make a decent title!

[buccaneere]

while trying to change booting sequence boot from usb option does not exist on sys.
can i have ubuntu on my ext hdd some how.

.
If you have bootable CD, then you want to change boot sequence to boot from CD/DVD as 1st boot device.

Start the machine, change the boot sequence, open the CD/DVD, put in the CD, close it, and then start the computer.

It should load ubuntu. You will have option either wipe all data from your machine and do the install, OR, let ubuntu find it's own available space on the HDD to install.