I think both destruk and Kapture are misunderstanding what brocker is asking. The USB Media channel is for playback of media locally. I believe brocker wants to develop on the box, not play media. If you want to develop on the Roku, the only way to do so is via a network connection. It doesn't necessarily need to have access to the internet (unless your content is being pulled from there), but you do need to be able to telnet into it. Internet Connection Sharing and a crossover cable or an adhoc WiFi hotspot might work for you.
My Channels: http://roku.permanence.com - Twitter: @TheEndlessDev
Instant Watch Browser (NetflixIWB), Aquarium Screensaver (AQUARIUM), Clever Clocks Screensaver (CLEVERCLOCKS), iTunes Podcasts (ITPC), My Channels (MYCHANNELS)