Authorization to browse...but not show login screen as first page

I have a wholesale site and I want to know if these two things are possible:

1. Can I have the product/category pages not show unless a customer is authorized to browse BUT let them/anyone see the other pages in the site (such as the sidebox info, etc. I have information pages about the products I sell and would like people to be able to read those without needing to register.

2. If #1 is not possible, then can I change the page so it's not the login screen? I would like to have an index page that tells what I sell and also tells people that we are wholesale...please register for an account, etc.

I'm also looking for a way to do this. :mellow:

just checking - would anyone have any ideas if this is possible and how to do it? :) Please?

I am befuddled ...

You want them to Login to see things ... but you don't want them to go to the login screen first thing and you want them to be able to see things ... :blink:

How about make it where they have to Login to Buy anything but can browse around and not see prices nor shop until they login ... :smile:

It doesn't make sense when you put it that way. :D

It just now occurred to me how to do this and it has nothing to do with zencart programming.

I will make a 'regular' index page in my root folder...and on that page tell what my site is about...telling retailers to register (need to get authorization before browsing) and then have a link to the index of the store, which will be the login page.

That's basically what I wanted, but it must have been late late late when I posted my question (or maybe not?) and I must have had zc on the brain.

(What I wanted people to be able to see were the ezpages, 'info pages' inthe sideboxes, but not the product categories.)

Thanks Ajeh!

There's no point preventing access to the entire website and only providing a login/register form. I want to have an about page (index) with some information about the company and previews of products. It would also be helpful to be able to see the privacy statement and other necessary information before users register.

How about make it where they have to Login to Buy anything but can browse around and not see prices nor shop until they login.

That's not what the client asked for.

Is there any safe way to modify Zen Cart to do this? If not, then I can forget the idea.

Aren't Products without prices or Product Listings without Prices or Searches without Prices or Specials without Prices or Featured Products without Prices more or less Previews?

Could you me a little more specific on what you really need in the way of Previews and such?