stephen_w_simpson,

Lets see if I can assist on the "menu" issue...

Knoppix is a "full-blown" Linux/GNU OS, like Windows(add version here) is a OS. As far as I know, not even "Windows" has "pretty" menus to choose from, that being because the "menu" is so low in the boot sequence - nothing is loaded yet - in fact, most of those menus are so low in the boot, most come right after the BIOS is loaded - that many don't even have a clue at mice, printers, and "barely" know that a hard drive is attached.

That said, I have Knoppix hard drive installed, but, for more than a month, lived with just using the CD - if you enter your cheat-codes on the BOOT: screen, like knoppix something something something [etc...]

You can then use a little bit of space on a drive, for your "Knoppix Save Configuration" and a "Knoppix Persistant Home" -=- files - which can be placed on a FAT file system, not sure about NTFS here... and only takes two files, viewable as a "unknown" file in Windows, but, in knoppix it will hold your boot up setup, and settings. Once this is saved, you can just enter the following on the BOOT: prompt...

boot: knoppix myconfig=scan home=scan

I did it this way for at least two weeks, until deciding to hard drive install, and go "full throttle" into the world of Linux, on my system.

I am not sure about this one, but, if you don't choose any options on the BOOT: prompt, I do know that knoppix will "auto-start" if left at this prompt for a period of time. THIS IS THE PART I AM NOT SURE ABOUT: will knoppix attempt to "scan" for these two options during its "non - option" given boot ????

If knoppix does "scan" for its "Persistant Home" and "Saved Configurations" - then your users need only leave the "boot:" prompt alone until it "auto-starts" - and still get all of their settings and configurations returned.

Hope this helps,
Cuddles