What is the easiest way for me to sort out a 50 page document such that the
first few pages are not page-numbered, then a table of contents
(automatically generated) is not numbered, and then the actual page numbers
start at "1" immediately following the table of contents, and then at the
end, the last 5 pages aren't numbered

I could have the last section as a separate doc, and I wonder if a section
break is needed for the firs bit, but am not sure whether that would mess up
the table of contents in that case