LMDE and Mint 12 Gnome dual install (SOLVED, for now...)

[Meteor]

I have been reviewing LMDE RC and finding it quite pleasant. I like Cinnamon (now that I've been able to get it to run -- had to ask how to do it from the LiveDVD). I think that I will install LMDE onto my computer but first need to ask...

I am running Mint 12 Gnome and KDE as dual boot. KDE is OK but not really my first choice. I guess I've used Gnome too long... What I would like to do is remove KDE and install LMDE in it's place on the hard drive. GParted tells me my (what I thought was a 300 GB) hard drive is partitioned as follows:

sda1 157 GB with 7GB used as /boot
sda 2 Extended of about 440 GB!
sda 7 14 GB of 140 GB used. This has Lisa Gnome installed
swap 6 GB (assigned by the installation, not by me)
sda 6 5 GB of 288 GB used. This is Lisa KDE
swap 6 GB (assigned by Lisa KDE)

What I would like to do is reformat sda 6 and have LMDE installed there. Can this be done? If so, how? Will the Debian installer know to use that particular portion of the drive? Do I need to tell it to use that portion? If so, how?

Is there an easier or simpler way to do this? Would it be best to reformat the entire hard drive and reinstall Lisa Gnome and then add LMDE?

I realize that I could just run either by themselves but, as it is said, Linux is about choice... I've been using Mint Gnome since 2006 but lately have not been a fan of changing from one version (Julia to Lisa, for example -- loved Julia, Lisa is OK...). The rolling release would be a challenge but no reinstalls required (ideally).

I will make my choice based on if I can run both Lisa and LMDE on the same drive and choose which to run at boot.

Your comments/suggestions/recommendations are requested.

Thank you,
Meteor

[neon_overload]

If you have the slightest amount of doubt about what you're doing with partitions, make sure all your data is backed up. In fact, it's a good idea to make sure all your data is backed up anyway.

The LMDE installer will let you choose which partitions, etc to use.

Probably all you'll have to do is, when you get to the part where it's showing you a list of partitions, right-click on the sda6 partition and tell it to format it, and use it as "/" (root).

It'll probably want to use both your swap partitions as swap too. That's ok.

5GB doesn't necessarily give you much room to breathe in LMDE, depending on how much you're going to install. The LMDE installer also lets you run gparted and fiddle around with re-partitioning if you dare.

[Meteor]

Thank you for your prompt reply, neonoverload. You've verified what I sort of felt. However, in the time between posting my message and now, I found I could install Cinnamon 1.4 to Lisa (Gnome) and have done so. It is working very nicely so I'll hang around with Lisa until LMDE is no longer an "RC", then decide what to do. My feeling is that I'll simply wipe the hard drive clean and do a full install of LMDE and learn how to use Debian as opposed to an Ubuntu base...

As LMDE needs one to get further into the depths of the OS, I will, I'm sure, run into questons...

Meteor