disk partitioning: can i use my external drive to save my current system?

[Peter McMahan]

Hi,
I'm running mac os 10.2.6 on a tibook with a lacie
firewire external hard drive.
my current disk usage on my internal hard drive is
less than half the capacity, so i would like to
install ydl and mac os on partitions in my internal
hard drive.  i would also like to not have to
reinstall mac os, all my software, all my drivers, and
reset all my preferences.  is there any good way to
get my current system onto my external drive while i
wipe and repartition the internal drive, only to
recopy my system back onto the partitioned internal
drive?  i've tried a few things with disk copy (my
external drive has a disk image of my internal drive
on it...) but i can't figure out what to do.  or even
if this is possible.
any help would be greatly apriciated.
thank you,
peter

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