installing Ubuntu 10.04LTS

Are you trying to install desktop or server? Please read site below. 10.04 LTS desktop is EOL (end of life) and in not supported.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

Lucid is painfully old. Why would you want to use it? I recommend you install Precise which is LTS and supported til April 2017. It will also allow you to upgrade to Trusty in April 2014 directly as you will be doing an LTS to LTS upgrade which is supported

you still didn't tell me how to install the root file system, or doesn't Precise require the root file system.

All Linux insstalls will need a root file system an setting up partitions is part of the install procedure in Ubuntu

Actionparsnip was merely pointing out that 10.04 is no longer supported, hence any security vulnerbilities in this release... will no longer be fixed.... 12.04 is the current LTS release... and for most users... is the recomend version to install.

As as also stated, the root filesystem will be created during installing on either 10.04 or 12.04.....

OK, I downloaded and burn to DVD the 12.04.3 and tried to install. I get the same message that there is no root file system and to go back to partitioning menu. What do I do? I have Windows 7 and 8.1 installed on two of the Three partitions and want to install 12.04.3 on the third partition. Please tell me step-by-step what to do.

You seem to have a problem in getting the partitions right.
It would be good if you can provide information about your current partition setup.

I can hardly believe that a parallel installation of windows 7 and Windows 8.1 would occupy just two partitions.

Can you boot into Ubuntu 12.04 and use the "try ubuntu" mode.
The open a terminal and issue the command
sudo fdisk -l
and finally copy/paste all output into this question document.

You have to be aware that an Ubuntu installation usually uses at least two partitions: one data partition ("root file system"), and one for swap (and eventually an extra one for /home).

I used the try mode and clicked on the top icon and the search bar opens up. I typed sudo fdisk -I. I get a message that it cannot find that command. When I try to install it to my third partition and click on partition change I get a menu with a lot of choices but I don't know which to select. I clicked on swap and it put in an amount on the right hand block that I guess it will allocate that much for the swap file, but it still says there is no root file system. Please help.
My Windows 7 is on the C drive, Windows 8.1 is on the D drive and I want to put Ubuntu on the E drive which is 259 gigs in size.
My whole hard drive is 1 tara bite in size.

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

Please see my question #8, this still holds true. I am trying to install it
( Ubuntu 12.04LTS ) on my desktop computer.
Please help! Frank

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Please boot with the Ubuntu installation DVD and use the "try ubuntu" mode.

When you see the desktop, press Ctrl-Alt-t for opening a command terminal
In that windows issue the command
sudo fdisk -l
and finally copy/paste all output into this question document.

OK Manfred,
I did the above and clicked on edit and select all and right clicked and selected copy. But then how do I get back to Windows 7 so I can paste it on your Email?

There is no direct way to copy the selected information over to Windows.
Possible workarounds:
1. Ubuntu should be able to connect to the internet - even in the "try Ubuntu" mode (use the network management icon in the top right part of the screen for configuring the network, and use Firefox as internet browser).
2. Open an editor, paste the information into it and save the file to an external medium like an USB stick. Then reboot into Windows for using the information (line breaks might get lost, but that should not pose a problem).

For posting the information you can either respond to the e-mail that you receive, or you can also use the launchpad internet interface https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/240554 by logging in and pasting into the "Message:" box.