Zaurus seems to lack straightforward tools for development.
This last couple of weeks I tried to compile an altered version of IRK (so that I could type Dvorak on my Targus and experiment with the layout). I didn't get very far, though, because I couldn't figure out what I needed to set up a compiling environment in a timely manner. I'm not even sure whether I could use Bitbake, or how to set up a non-2.95 cross-compiler (since I use OpenZaurus 3.5.4)!
It would be very nice if a tarball could be made that will set up all the needed tools immediately, all in one go, so that all that would be necessary would be to type something like
./configure
zmake
or something like
gcc-zaurus myprog.cpp
to cross-compile something for the Zaurus.
Furthermore, I would really like to be able to compile things in OpenZaurus directly, in an emulator, using a native compiler toolchain. I know from experience that it is very discouraging to try to set up such an environment! It would be really nice to be able to install a zaurus-compiler.ipk package that will give a hobbyist make, gcc, and so forth, the ability to try to compile whatever programs that tickles their fancy (particularly math programs in my case).
When I originally got my Zaurus, I looked forward to being able to do things like this. It's a little frustrating that doing this is just out of my reach! (But I still like my Zaurus; between Python and the fact that I can request something like this makes my Zaurus much closer to that ideal than a Palm or my old Windows-CE Cassiopeia!)