git clone git://diyhpl.us/nanoengineer.git
cd nanoengineer
./bootstrap
./configure
make

comment out line 1051, 1052 in sim/src/newtables.c

cd cad
./main.py

note: KNOWN_MMPFORMAT_VERSIONS contains more recent versions than the one we're writing by default, '080327 required; 080529 preferred'
Segmentation fault
see cad/src/files/mmp/mmpformat_versions.py

./main.py
segfault near looking for /usr/bin/iconengines/.
sudo apt-get install libqt4-designer

python-pyqt4
requires PyQt4 version 4.2