getting a mimimal store?

I've got a store with only 8 products in it. they're all in the same category and by the same manufacturer, so I don't want to sort things by category or manufacturer or even show them. I just want to list the products on the home page and then use the rest of the cart and tracking features of nopCommerce (which rocks, btw). How do I get just a minimal store? Thanks!

Start with the nopCommerce control panel.  Look in Configuration --> Global settings and turn everything off.  Once you've done this you will need to alter some of the code to suit your needs.  You can probably change a lot of the server controls to visible="false" to turn off.  Start with this and see how you get on.

That worked great -- I've got all my products showing up on the homepage with no categories at all. However, now the user is required to log in before the products on the home page are shown at all. I want users to be able to browse w/o logging it and ideally purchase w/o logging in either. How do I make that happen? Thanks!

configuration-->global settings

go there and make sure

Anonymous checkout allowed:    is ticked     ('general' tab)
and
Allow navigation only for registered customers:     is not ticked      ('other' tab)

I absolutely love nc. I use it for several of my stores... and will change all of them soon. Amazing product.

I'm looking to strip down a store to sell only a few downloadable products. I will link from external websites to a single product in the store and allow customers to checkout with as few steps as possible. I'm pretty certain of how to do this. However, what I need help with is...

Is there a way to send the customer to checkout externally with the product already in the shopping cart? How?

I'd like to disable the 'continue shopping' link.

I'd like to disable all of the top navigation links except 'my account'.

I'd like to remove the 'information' box and links. (about us, shipping, etc...)

I'd like to remove the subscribe to newsletter box.

I'd like to remove the 'categories' above the newsletter. - (not only the categories - but the word and the box itself)

I know I have to edit source code... what I don't know is what code to edit.
If someone has answers to these and can get me started... I'd appreciate it.

'
justbrad24  - you could start with the following:

I'd like to disable the 'continue shopping' link. hide it in modules/ordersummary.ascx (set its visibility to false)

I'd like to disable all of the top navigation links except 'my account'. you can remove /hide them in modules/headermenu.ascx

I'd like to remove the 'information' box and links. (about us, shipping, etc...)
I'd like to remove the subscribe to newsletter box.
I'd like to remove the 'categories' above the newsletter. - (not only the categories - but the word and the box itself)

     remove them from masterpages/twoColumn.master

Thanks so much!

Do I need to recompile after making these changes?