Need help with the_excerpt()

Salut.
I need some help with the the_excerpt(). In my index.php (theme) I have this

<div id=”content”>

<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>

<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

<?php $custom_fields = get_post_custom(); //custom fields ?>

<?php if (isset($custom_fields[“BX_post_type”]) && $custom_fields[“BX_post_type”][0] == “mini”) { ?>

<hr class=”low” />

<div class=”minientry”>

<?php echo BX_remove_p($post->post_content); ?>
<?php comments_popup_link(‘(0)’, ‘(1)’, ‘(%)’, ‘commentlink’, ”); ?>
” class=”permalink” title=”Permalink”><?php the_time(‘M j, \’y’) ?><!–, <?php the_time(‘h:ia’) ?>–>
<!–<em class=”author”><?php the_author() ?>–>
<?php edit_post_link(‘Edit’,'<span class=”editlink”>’,'</span>’); ?>

</div>

<hr class=”low” />

<?php } else { ?>

<div class=”entry”>

<h2>” title=”Permalink”><?php the_title(); ?></h2>

<?php ($post->post_excerpt != “”)? the_excerpt() : the_content(); ?>

<p class=”info”><?php if ($post->post_excerpt != “”) { ?>” class=”more”>Continue Reading<?php } ?>
<?php comments_popup_link(‘Add comment’, ‘1 comment’, ‘% comments’, ‘commentlink’, ”); ?>
<em class=”date”><?php the_time(‘F jS, Y’) ?><!– at <?php the_time(‘h:ia’) ?>–>
<!–<em class=”author”><?php the_author(); ?>–>
<?php edit_post_link(‘Edit’,'<span class=”editlink”>’,'</span>’); ?>

But when I use the <!– more –> thing in my post it still displays the default (more…) on the front page, that is in template-functions-post.php (how can I change it, without messing with template-functions-post.php itself?

Besides, if I change :
<?php ($post->post_excerpt != “”)? the_excerpt() : the_content(); ?>

to

<?php ($post->post_excerpt != “”)? the_excerpt() : the_excerpt(); ?>

it uses the […] after the first 120 words, which is OK, but I would like to replace it with my own text and put a link there I guess that – <p class=”info”><?php if ($post->post_excerpt != “”) { ?>” class=”more”>Continue Reading<?php } ?> is suppose to do that (thx to the Blix theme Im using) but Im not sure how I can activate that?

Moreover, and even more importantly, I would like to shorten post in a similar way in the categories and subcategories, when you click on a particular one, same with the archives. What file I need to edit, in regards to the Blix theme.

Huge thx in advance.