I tried to install Gnucash 2.2.9 from the source files. ./configure revealed that I needed GLIB 2.6. I tried installing GLIB 2.6 from source. Configure ran OK but make stopped with a very long list of galias errors.
This is just one example. With the sole exception of emacs, other attempted installs involve a never-ending hunt for dependencies where either attempts to install the dependencies or the main program result in either configure or make breaking down. From the error messages, it looks like the C or C++ code has broken and these are stable releases.
eg K3d configuration tells me that it is OK to go ahead and "make" but when I do, it stops with node.cpp:45: error: 'hide' is not a member of 'sigc'. I know enough to know that this is a problem with a C++ class but no idea how to fix a library that I didn't write.
I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall. I want to compile as it gives me more up-to-date apps than packaging does but it seems impossible to even do this.
OK, rant over, could there be some over-arching mistake that I am making. If configure completes OK, I can't have omitted any essential dependencies. Is it me or are the source files defective?