Thanks for the replies.
Would it be safe to say once xterm is installed I could mkdir and store files anywhere in RAM or SD Card? Also can I drop in the executables from say gnu textutilsl and they will work or do I have to package and compile the sources to Maemo specific binaries? I run cygwin-like ports of gnu tools off a usb drive on a desktop computer to learn more about the shell but I'd like to dispense with the desktop and have this experience on a portable tablet. I basically just want a portable shell but dont' want to get a pepperpad. The ideal would be if I can install perl, zsh and all the gnu utils on a N800 or find packages in the catalog. I think the Nokia Internet Tablets would be a great way to evangelize Linux and open source, but I guess the market wants media playing and web services devices.