Mouse pad stopped working in 2.4 after removing applications

There has been a catalogue of problems today, which started when I did a apt-get update/upgrade. I know, I know should have left it alone :roll: All I wanted to do was watch a DVD I bought yesterday and it has caused problem after problem. Any ho, what happened...

I'm currently running Knoppix 3.6 (but have executed many apt-get update/upgrades since last Sep 04) on a Dell Inspiron 1100

Step1:
Apt-get update/upgrade fine, no problems, said yes to each step (in hindsight probably not the best idea)
Reboot, but can no longer login as user, only as root! Any attempt to login as user just returns me to the login prompt.
I was a little "concerned" by this (had to leave office when I remembered it had been some time since last backup!):evil:
After some work, I finally realised it was that hdc1 was full, phew.

Step2:
Remove files and clean up hdc1. Did all the usual (cache clean up and moved as much from home account over to hdc3 and added symbolic links where needed)
Then thought hey ho, what about core dumps, so searched for core across system... /dev/core and /proc/kcore
I guess you can you see where this is going! Well /dev/core was 256Mb, perfect, I thought, rm'd that but then kcore appeared linked to proc. Thankfully my next step was prevented. Any ho, after issuing rm I then checked to see what kcore is. Bottom line, something not to be removed!!!! [Side note my kcore is 1.07Gb, is this usual or is there a seperate problem with it?]

Step 3:
I started to remove unwanted packages (well just openoffice) with apt-get remove, which freed up over 200Mb which is enough to allow user login. I can log in however my mouse pad doesn't work now. USB mouse works fine. I tried 2.6 and both work fine. I know what people will say why not just use 2.6. However I would rather like to know what I have done.

So did removing core from /dev do this or is it related to removing openoffice?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

ps
Sorry for the long post, but it has been a long afternoon/evening!