GStreamer uses a *large* array of tools and libraries, most of which are optional. We have attempted to make sure that any code that depends on optional libraries doesn't get built unless you have those libraries. If you find this not to be the case, please, let us know by filing a bug report at http://sourceforge.net/bugs/?group_id=1936. Required libraries: =================== the latest glib2, currently at v2.0.4 libxml2 (also called gnome-xml, available from http://xmlsoft.org/) These libraries are all central parts of gnome, and are available from the ftp.gnome.org or its mirrors, amongst other places. Optional libraries for Plugins: ============================== The vast number of optional libraries that can be used for plugins are listed in the REQUIREMENTS document in the gst-plugins package. Required tools: =============== bison >= 1.35 flex An extra set of tools is required if you wish to build GStreamer out of CVS (using autogen.sh): autoconf 2.52 automake 1.6 libtool v1.4 or better pkgconfig 0.9.0 (http://www.freedesktop.org/software/pkgconfig/) Optional tools: =============== gtkdoc db2html fig2dev xsltproc To build pdf and ps version of docs =================================== passivetex xmltex tetex-dvips Optional debian packages: ========================= (This is an incomplete list, made only of problems which have been reported, rather than by an audit.) task-helix-gnome-dev OR libgnome-dev gtk-doc-tools 0.4-0.2 -- needed to build documentation Alternatively, the docbook-gnome-bin package, which is available by adding the following lines to apt's sources.list (/etc/apt/sources.list): deb ftp://ftp.home-of-linux.org/pub/debian gnome/ deb-src ftp://ftp.home-of-linux.org/pub/debian gnome/