linux and HD help

[acolyte_to_jippity]

ok, so i've taken it into my head that it would be a good thing to install linux on my (empty) portable hard drive. i know i'd be able to set my bios to boot from the usb slot first, so that if it's plugged in when i turn my laptop on grub would appear and i'd choose windows or linux. the problem is that i have no fucking clue how to:

a) install it on the hd
b) keep it from fucking my windows up
c) pick which distro i want (i want something that looks as close to windows as possible, i don't like macs)
d) obtain said distro
e) defend my idea and explain why i want to do this.


also, any help in mentioning a possible benefit to me having linux would be greatly appreciated. like i said, i got this "great idea" but i don't really know why it would be a good thing (not saying it'd be bad, just i don't know why i want to do it)

[ZERO]

Also you will need multiple partitions to be able to install 2 or more OSes on the same HDD regardless of the OS that is used.

[acolyte_to_jippity]

well, i'm not installing more than one to the portable hard drive, i'll partition that for a linux section and a data section.

and...honestly, i don't know what i'm going to do w/ it once i get it. i mean, it seems like a good idea, but i have no idea why i would like to have it. i love vista, it has given me 0 problems so far, and i don't forsee switching over to linux any time soon. so in all honesty, i just woke up w/ this idea and no reasoning to explain it. more of a "because i can" type of thing than a "this would be useful" type.

[Fireye]

Also you will need multiple partitions to be able to install 2 or more OSes on the same HDD regardless of the OS that is used.

I'm pretty sure there's a port of ubuntu that runs natively on ntfs now.