Hello. I downloaded and put onto my USB elementary OS 6. When I went to install it, it asked me to choose between erasing the current SSD (which has Windows 7 on it), a custom install, etc.

I don't want to erase win 7 -- I want to keep it and just install OS 6 on part of the drive, but I don't know how to do that. Not sure how custom install works with the window that came up when I took a look at it -- I don't know which partition is Windows and which is the current version of EOS (5.1 Hera), and I just would like to put EOS 6 on the current Linux partition.

Can anyone offer any help/advice?

Use windows disk management to shrink windows 7 volume. Do not create a new volume. Reboot into elementary OS 6 and you should have an option to use largest continuous empty space, or something similar.

1. Identify the proper partitions. Without that no one can provide suitable advice. Possibly from within eos you can use 'sudo fdisk -l' and post the output here so we might have an informed idea of the partition layout and decide the way for you to proceed.

2. Custom install will be required, but the partitions will also need to be identified to avoid wiping out the windows install.

Another reasonable alternative – can you, at least initially, install it into a virtual machine? An environment which would allow you to fully explore this new "distro" in a window within whatever-is your current operating environment, without compromising it?

That’s my point—which is the Linux partition? That’s what I’m asking.

from the live usb, open a terminal and post the output of

Okay -- so what exactly do I need to do when I identify the partitions? I apologize in asking this, but I haven't done this in a long time. All I get with Odin is a clean install which wipes the disk, and the custom installation. I'm new to Linux, and want to start using it more, but I don't want to erase anything on the windows partition.

Windows 7 uses ntfs, right, for the filing system?

I can't seem to find anything online about the custom installation.

When that happens it's not infrequently the case that the process is too self-explanatory for the developers to want to bother. The creators of Debian>Ubuntu derivative distros tend to have more specialized resources at their disposal, so it well could be that this is the case here. I'm guessing the EOS installer is just the Ubuntu installer with a custom face, so Ubuntu docs could be close enough to suit your needs, if you really need any docs at all.

Windows disk management should make it clear enough which partitions are its own, and which are not. If you have it delete the non-Windows partitions, you'll be left with freespace. The Odin custom installer can then use the freespace to create the partitions it needs and then proceed to install.

You really should not be claiming to be new. You registered here over 10 years ago and have started 10 threads. Rusty we could more easily believe.

If you had posted the output of the commands suggested in post 3 and 6 someone would have been able to identify the partitions for you. I'm not sure what Elementry means by "custom" install but I expect it is the same as a manual install or what the various Ubuntu derivatives call "Something Else". Doing an online search should bring up a number of site with details. I think you are focusing to much on the name "Custom Install".

Got it installed finally without having to do the 'clean install'. Was able to figure out how to use Gparted and installed it on the empty space on the SSD, with the swap file, and kept Win 7 in case I need it.

My apologies to anyone out there who was frustrated that I may have been asking too many obvious questions. I'm gradually switching over to Linux -- or I should say want to use it more than I do, as well as keeping MAC OS. Love apple, but it's not the same as when Jobs was there. When my MB Pro finally gives up the ghost I'm going to switch to Linux.