I'm a newbie, and I've got an issue with the install

Is Ubuntu an absolute must use OS? Where are you trying to host this? Locally or on the cloud?

If you just want a free and easy way to try out a hosted version of ERPNext, have a look at the guide link below. It is not using Ubuntu (uses Debian 8 instead), but it does work and it comes online in less than 30 minutes. It also helps that it is free to try for up to a year!

Further down the thread in that same guide you can also learn how to make reusable and preloaded virtual images that can be made in just about 10 minutes.

Regardless, I believe it is probably the absolute fastest and cheapest way to make your own test system.

BKM