simple instructions on auto-adding excerpts on main page of twenty-ten theem

Have you tried using the <!--more--> tag?

It’s a little more flexible than the auto-excerpt feature, because you don’t have to edit the index.php, you only have to place the tag where you want the excerpt to end.

Thanks. I tried that, but it didn’t seem to work. I used it in the regular edit post area of the admin page in the HTML option, but it didn’t seem to have any effect and then when I went to look at it again it was gone. Does it matter if it’s an edited post?

Never mind. Now it’s working. I think I did something hinky the first time or deleted something the original tag.

if you are aware that the_excerpt will remove any html tags and formatting when showing the first 55 words of the post, and you stil would like to have this on your front page, try to edit loop.php of Twenty Ten (around line 132);

<?php if ( is_archive() || is_search() ) : // Only display excerpts for archives and search. ?>

modify this line to:

<?php if ( is_home() || is_front_page() || is_archive() || is_search() ) : // Only display excerpts on front page and for archives and search. ?>

however, the solution with the ‘more tag’ is also ok.