"disappointed to find that it didn't have a Maemo 5 scratchbox already installed" ???

you are lucky I could fit what I did on that solydmaemo iteration.

I tried to put "fully-set-up-and-running-lotsa-stuff" on that iso....
lust ready to use.
BUT ....
there are limits as to the ultimate iso size which can be created.

And a fully-ready-to-use-just-hit-the-button-Maemo5-scratchbox ...
would have been alone,
an iso unto itself if it were doable.

Thing is...
unpacked and set up...
maemo5 fully operational scratchbox is just too big for creating an iso.
If that weren't enough of a reason....
ALSO..
the physics of an iso containing an operating system WITHIN WHICH a resident vdi containing an unpacked maemo5 scratchbox resides....
well...
you try to do an iso of (essentially) an unpacked operating system within an operating system...
tell me how that turns out for you....
I know I tried....

I do feel your pain....
the whole purpose of the iso was and is to make development easier ....
and it does...
but somethings are just asking too much.

I do not understand your disappointment though.
I do believe I preemptively answered every possible issue and query in the write-up and walkthrough...
and I do believe I covered specifically the issues surrounding "not being able to have maemo5 scratchbox fully set up inside the iso"
and as well I do believe I covered the issues surrounding Eclipse/esbox and scratch ... install just the right way... everything works fine... install it wrong and you are going to run into the wall and have a hell of a time trying to get it installed.

EVERYTHING that is needed ... is there... and at worst just a few clicks away from set up.
Including scratchbox ... (although I do admit...maemo scratch setup is more than just a few clicks...it is still quicker than any other method we currently have..)

If the desire is for premade scratch already set up...
Please make it.
I just tried to cram everything and the kitchen sink...for ease of use without the need of outdated Hardy or any of the old isos... which needed to be run in vm AND THEN scratch run inside of that...
or...
people installing scratch on their systems and having things go sideways..
or .....
ending up stuck with all one's work on just ONE computer...
or worse...
old and new members alike...
trying to learn how to develop by starting with just scratch alone and becoming frustrated with the installation and giving up on devel all together without exploring other methods and applicable tools of devel for the NIT.

So ... yeah....
hm...
disappointment?

best answers concisely to your disappointment are:

1- Everything you need ...hell ...all that there is...shy of a couple of tidbits... and the ability to setup maemo scratch more easily than before ...is right there.

or

2- If better can be done with new methods of iso creation...
then do it...please....I have no prob with that at all...I encourage it.

or

3- Suck it up Buttercup.