How to build applications

One other suggestion:

As I understand it, you're trying to setup a CF card as a writable filesystem in order to upload your apps for running?

One of my favourite methods of running one-shot apps is to upload to one of the ram filesystems that are currently mounted.

As an example, if you're using a full filesystem setup, then there should be 2 mounted ext2 filesystems that exist on ramdisks.

# mount
rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)
/dev/root on / type romfs (ro)
/dev/ram0 on /var type ext2 (rw)
/dev/ram1 on /tmp type ext2 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)

Notice the /var and /tmp lines.

I usually perform a chmod 777 on the /tmp directory, connect via FTP using the "nios" and "uClinux" username/password combo, then upload to the /tmp directory.

It's a quick a dirty way of running apps without rebuilding and reuploading the filesystem.

If you want more info on the above procedure, just let me know.