> Again, that simple applescript provides a shell to launch the squeak VM
> using a selection of image versions. I'm sure that Linux and Windows
> shell scripting can provide a similar capability:

I made such a script in Emacs Lisp, for Surmulot 
(http://www.zogotounga.net/surmulot/surmulot.html) which combines Emacs 
and muO. What I found useful in that context was to give a root name, 
and analyse all images based on that name, then propose to the user to 
choose which image to launch among the initial image (the one with the 
root name) plus the latests of its derivative (the number of which we 
can customize).

so, if the images folder contains
muO.image
muO.1.image
muO.2.image
muO.3.image
muO.4.image
muO.5.image

the script could propose only muO.image and muO.5.image, and possibly 
add muO.4.image also, or muO.4.image and muO.3.image, etc.

here are some docstrings:

---
function (squeak-tcpip-default-image)

Return the default image to be opened when starting Squeak from Emacs.
Valid image file names are built by replacing ".image" with ".N.image" 
in variable `squeak-tcpip-default-image', where N stands for any integer.
Variable `squeak-tcpip-proposed-images' controls which images are 
considered candidates.
If none is found, return "" which make the Squeak VM interactively query 
the user.


variable squeak-tcpip-proposed-images

The number of latest images to be interactively proposed when starting 
Squeak from Emacs.
If 0, the latest image is automatically selected.
If negative, the root image (from variable `squeak-tcpip-default-image') 
is automatically selected.

---

yet another approach would be to sort the image files by modification dates.

my 2 cents,

Stef