[ubuntu-za] Ubuntu-9.10- Laptop only- On drive repository

[Johan]

Good day,

Thanks to the kind gents that gave me some advice on previous question.
The advice was good if you have a LAN.
But...
I have only a laptop with 1 internal drive, cdrom and two external 
drives connected to usb ports. The bios is set that I can boot to any 
device connected to the usb ports. Can connect any usb external drives.

What I would like to do...
Install ubuntu on both usb devices, then update one.
Update the second one by making the updated device a repositry and then 
update second device that way.

Or....this would be the preferred option to safegaurd against drive 
crash of the first drive..
Rsync the saved update files to the second hd and then update regularly.

When I was using linux some yrs back we created a 3rd partition which 
was /home. Now I guess that by rsync /home to the second drive will save 
all data files?

Now I beg that some one be kind to me and take it step by step for my 
situation.

Thanks,  Regards,
Johan Sch.