To set up Scratchbox I used these files and these commands as root:
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-core-1.0.7-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-libs-1.0.7-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-devkit-debian-1.0.7.1-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-toolchain-arm-gcc3.4-uclibc0.9.28-1.0.4-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-toolchain-i686-linux-ct4.1.0-2.3.6tls-1.0.4-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# tar -zxf /home/matthowe/Desktop/scratchbox-toolchain-cs2005q3.2-glibc2.5-i386-1.0.7-i386.tar.gz
root@Ubuntu:/# /scratchbox/run_me_first.sh
Do you want to use sudo mode? [yes/no] (no):
Give the name of the scratchbox group (sbox):
Stopping Scratchbox: umount, binfmt_misc.
Starting Scratchbox: binfmt_misc, mount.

I also sdded the user matthowe to the group sbox (that terminal session got closed).

Then in a terminal as user matthowe I did this and got these returns:
matthowe@Ubuntu:~$ /scratchbox/login
Inconsistency detected by ld.so: rtld.c: 1192: dl_main: Assertion `(void *) ph->p_vaddr == _rtld_local._dl_sysinfo_dso' failed!

You dont have active target in scratchbox chroot.
Please create one by running "sb-menu" before continuing


Welcome to Scratchbox, the cross-compilation toolkit!

Use 'sb-menu' to change your compilation target.
See /scratchbox/doc/ for documentation.

Inconsistency detected by ld.so: rtld.c: 1192: dl_main: Assertion `(void *) ph->p_vaddr == _rtld_local._dl_sysinfo_dso' failed!
Inconsistency detected by ld.so: rtld.c: 1192: dl_main: Assertion `(void *) ph->p_vaddr == _rtld_local._dl_sysinfo_dso' failed!
Inconsistency detected by ld.so: rtld.c: 1192: dl_main: Assertion `(void *) ph->p_vaddr == _rtld_local._dl_sysinfo_dso' failed!
matthowe@Ubuntu:~$

I had Ubuntu set up as a VM machine using the Sun VMware but I acquired a broken machine which I repaired and decided it was time to build a proper Linux box. So I partitioned the drive and put Ubuntu in the first partition. I may put a different flavor of Linux in the second partition, I haven't decided yet.

I will go and follow the instructions you suggest and see where I get to. I was a bit frustrated the other night but I am back in exploring mode again and a bit eager to learn new things. Thanks for your help.

Santa Matt