I want to suggest that instead of appbrowser mode "Install Selected" downloading an extension into the ../tce directory (being either the tce directory supplied as a boot option or /tmp/tce) that it should be modified to instead:
1. download into the directory folder ../tce/optional along with any dependencies.
2. automatically then create symlink(s) from the ../tce directory to the downloaded extension (and any dependencies) pointing to the actual tce's in the cumulative storage location for extensions: ../tce/optional
That way, the user gradually builds up a local repository of extensions, but can selectively enable or disable the ones actually used at boot time by deleting (or creating) the symlinks to them in ../tce
It then becomes a trivial matter to set up "multiple unique configurations" of TC in a manner similar to that described by software gurl in thread
http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?&topic=155.0:
If your like me, your going to have bunches of non-default tce directories. To save hard drive space symbolic links between them work for me (knock on wood). For instance if you have your default tce on hdd4 and one called mystuff also on hdd4 and what Opera in both this works.
sudo ln -s /mnt/hdd4/tce/opera-9.61.tcz /mnt/hdd4/mystuff/
On reboot it will load. Remember any dependencies..
Currently I use a similar scheme (but because of the way appbrowser currently operates I have to create the many symlinks involved manually) in order to allow my family members to each boot up their own TC configuration and only use the default set of applications they want. Each of them boot (using grub menu.lst) with a unique tce=partition/directory location, which I've arranged to be populated with a set of symlinks (depending on what apps they want on their system) pointing to the main persistent "optional" folder's tce's. (Actually I go one step further in my system setup: each of my family member's unique tce folders each contain a symlink to the main persistent "optional" folder rather than having their own separate optional folders; that way I save even more disc space should they individually download more extensions using appbrowser "Download Only").
The suggested change to appbrowser (and the use of symlinks in ../tce instead of actual tce's) would I believe add a great deal of power and flexibility to what is already an impressively powerful and flexible system.
"Demand Downloading" of individual apps is also great of course, but sometimes it's nice to have a preselected set of apps already setup and for different uses and users.