WordPress MU

I've installed and configure mu and been messing with it for a week or so but can't seem to get it to do what I want eventhough I've install a lot of plugins that get me some way along but fall short of being what I want. I wonder if the is anyone here who can point me in the right direction to find out how to acheive what I want - here's what I want;

Visitor enters the site and sees only the following in a design;

A Button - Get You Own Blog
A List - All current blog
A List - Last en posts in the blogs
A List - themes available to use

If they choose to start a blog I want them to have to choose a blog category. I as admin want control of those blog categories.

I want every blog to have the same plugins and wedgets.

All I want blog owners to be able to do in their dashboard is this;

Write and edit posts
Add their own Categories
Add their own links
Change the theme and change the main image

I was thinking of adding Buddypress but don't know if this would give me any benifits to acheive the above.

"Visitor enters the site and sees only the following in a design;

A Button - Get You Own Blog
A List - All current blog
A List - Last en posts in the blogs
A List - themes available to use"

Find a theme you like, then code up the front page so it has what you want. Or, you'll probably have to get someone to do it.

"If they choose to start a blog I want them to have to choose a blog category. I as admin want control of those blog categories."

Blog topics plugin here:
http://wpmudevorg.wordpress.com/project/Blog-Topics

"I want every blog to have the same plugins and widgets. "
MU does this by default. Any plugin you upload is available to all members if you have the plugins menu showing.

Widgets are put in as plugins. If you mean you want the stuff on the sidebar of their blog to all be the same, don't use widgets. widgets are more moving around and changing.

'All I want blog owners to be able to do in their dashboard is this;"
http://wpmudevorg.wordpress.com/project/simple-dashboard

Wonderfull Andrea, I also found some snippits of code in the codedex that should enable even me a complete bozo to put together a front page.

Thanks very much for your time.

XXX