Note for failed linking ======================= Seems that on some systems linking fails due missing references. You may solve it with . /etc/profile.d/qt.sh export QTLIB=${QTDIR}/lib QTINC=${QTDIR}/include before running cmake. On some systems cmake doesn't detect that it is a threaded qt-version. So you should do export CXXFLAGS="-DQT_THREAD_SUPPORT" before running cmake. (Or give it as parameter to cmake with -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-DQT_THREAD_SUPPORT") Prepare install =============== You require at least cmake 2.4, kde 3.4.x and subversion 1.2. In source-tree-build are mostly unwanted, so make a subdir called "kdesvn-build" and change to it. Basic installation ================== Change to your builddirectory and call cmake with the path to kdesvn. E.g., when your build-folder is "kdesvn-build" within source-tree, so change to it and type "cmake ../". Now your system get checked if it is able compiling kdesvn and cmake generates the Makefiles. Important parameters to cmake: -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE= may current one of "Debug", "Release", "ReleaseWithDebInfo" or "MINSIZEREL" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX= Default to "/usr/local" -DSUBVERSION_INSTALL_PATH= Where is subversion-lib installed. Default check in /usr and /usr/local -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS= Extra flags for the c++ compiler for your system required. -DLIB_SUFFIX= Mostly for 64bit systems, there suffix may be 64 so libs will installed in /usr/lib64 and not /usr/lib for instance. After calling cmake just type make and build begins. When more output is wanted call make VERBOSE=1 After make type "make install" and install begins. You may install to a temporary-root with make install DESTDIR= If you want to uninstall kdesvn again type "make uninstall" from within the build directory. Extra cflags and linker flags ============================= If you require extra flags for compiler and linker you may give them via environment variables "CXXFLAGS" (c++ compiler) "LDFLAGS" (for linker) "CFLAGS" (for c-compiler, not needed in kdesvn build) eg., it may usefull on 64bit systems "-m64" to CXXFLAGS and LDFLAGS.