Hi... I'm a Linux Newbee... and not a "techy."

I have some pretty basic questions - which may bore most of you.

I've been able to get the Live CD to boot and allow me to navigate and use Linux, and the browser. I can see my HD volumes, and open them and access the files and open some of them and alter them on my HP Paviilion Notebook with Vista Home Premium.

I've also downloaded and used Firefox, and set up the tabs and saved some Bookmarks - but, can't figure out how to save the configuration when I shut it down and re-open it (Firefox). Similarly, I've not been able to figure out how to save my tabs and Bookmarks in Linux (Knoppix Live CD v 6.0). I now realize IceWeasel is a form of FireFox - thought they seemed similar. But... I'm still wondering how to get IceWeasel / FireFox to preserve my settings, bookmarks, tabs, etc. between sessions. I'm getting tired of re-set-up every time I reboot Knoppix.

I'm also unable to open some MS Office, or MS Works files with the OpenOffice apps - I don't know how to find the application to associate with these files to open them in OpenOffice.

I'm a "GUI Gui" not a "code guy" and would like to just "point and click" for all of this stuff.

I guess I'm looking for some comprehensive documentation (users manual) for the Live CD, which I haven't found yet. Does anything like this exist? If so, can you direct me to it? Or, to a forum, thread, which contains most of this stuff?

I'd also like to configure my system to avoid the frequent reads of the CD/DVD drive - speed it up. I'd like to install it to my HD, or to a USB stick, but I've read that its pretty difficult for a "GUI Guy" to do that, and that my HP Pavilion DV6000 Notebook, may not allow boots from a USB stick, anyway. Can anyone direct me to a forum, or thread, which might show a "GUI Guy" how to do any of this with success, without having to right "code" (commands)???

Anyway... any help... any of you more "patient soles" might offer would be appreciated.

Thanks,
GF