Regarding the installation size: original maemo has started out as Debian sid as well (see /etc/debian_version on maemo) and yet a maemo 2006 rootfs.jffs2 weighs just 57 MB, compared to 268 MB of my Debian armel rootfs.

I think it's a matter of introducing busybox and recompiling most packages with such configure options that they'd be the smallest possible. It will reduce the number of dependencies as well. As far as I know Debian sid armel offers vanilla packages and we definitely need some size optimization. Then again, it would break the binary compatibility with Debian armel repos

By the way, what do you use as a web browser? Dillo is definitely no match for MicroB after all and neither Kazehakase nor Midori work reasonably on my n770. I wouldn't even attempt IceWeasel, so...

As a side note: I have a really strange issue with the system clock while performing massive apt-get updates and/or installs in Debian armel. It just randomly goes back to the beginnings of Unix time i.e. 1970

Also, if you just feel like playing around with different window managers you can do what I've done previously ---> http://www.flickr.com/photos/2254523...7603649694490/