install osx from partition rather than full drive?

hi all

I have a feeling this is not possible, but wanted to ask: could an osx bootable image be located on a partition of a hard drive or usb drive, while maintaining other files in another partition on that same drive? could you boot and install osx this way?

thanks a lot

ML

You can put OS X on a partition and boot from there while other partitions contain data. The partition must be formatted as Mac OS Extended Journaled with the GUID partition type.

Further what operting system is this? if one of OS X.7, X.8,X.9. and X.10 you can proceed and install on a partition using the Installer found in the Applications folder. For earlier you may well neded the DVD.