Quick Hareware question

I have Linux and Windows on my computer. I am wanting to buy an external hard drive so that I can unplug and travel. If I format it FAT, both will be able to automatically recognize it right? I know Windows will but will Linux automount it or will I need to do a manual mount?

Both solutions are correct, but since you're traveling the guy with a linux box in Africa will very probably not have the settings to do that automatically (nothing to do with the people, it's just that it's far ). So learn the ins and outs of manual mounting.

I have a computer at home with my Windows and Linux as I said but I have another computer located at another residence with Linux so I am in control of both computers.

So from terminal (root) type
cd /
mkdir /ehd
mount /dev/sda1 /ehd/

After first time you just need to (as root)
mount /dev/sda1 /ehd/

(You can modify this as needed, just remember you can only mount to a directory that has already been created, and you need the first part of the mount command to reflect the external hard drive.

In that case just add an entry in fstab and that will do it. If you don't mind the occasional error message of mounting a non existing device (if that's the case at that time of course).