I have installed Xoops, and it appears to be working fine. I can create new user groups, and specify what they can view. I can't seem to specify what an unregistered member can view. It appears they can always view the news. I can select the start up module as "none", and they then get a blank screen, but the user menu still has a link to the news.

I want unregistered users to be able to see one news item (it doesn't have to be a news item, but I need to show them some text, explaining who we are, and that they need to register to gain access to the appropriate content), and nothing else. They then need to register to see anything else. How can I set that up?

Can I set up the news so that some user groups can only see certain topics?

You don't need 'News' for that. You can set up a Custom Block with the text you want (similar to the Welcome Block here in xoops.org). Set that block (from Group Permissions) to be seen only by Anonymous Users but not by Registered Users.

Ok, that sorta works.

I want the news to be the module that shows when people log in. If I set it so that anonymous users can't view the news, they get a "Don't have permission" and they get a log in screen - but I want them to see the new block I just set up - right now it doesn't show on the log in screen. And, the anonymous user group keeps putting "News" as checked for permissions to view - it will stick for a while, then I'll have to go back and uncheck it.

If I put in prefrences for "None" to be the start up module, it works fine, but then my registered users don't see the news.

I want unregistered users to go to the front page and get a message that they need to register or login. I want registered users to see the news section as soon as they log on.