Before you can start compiling tinc from a fresh git clone, you have to install the very latest versions of the following packages: - OpenSSL - zlib - lzo - GCC - automake - autoconf - gettext - libevent Then you have to let the autotools create all the autogenerated files, using this command: autoreconf -fsi If you change configure.in or any Makefile.am file, you will have to rerun autoreconf. After this, you can run configure and make as usual. To create a tarball suitable for release, run: make dist To clean up your working copy so that no autogenerated files remain, run: git clean -f