diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 13ccda24c..ed690f89c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 /wiki/backups/*
 *~
-a.out
-semantic.cache
-aclocal.m4
-Makefile
-Makefile.in
-autom4te*
-config.*
-configure
 *.tar.*
-build/*
+.sconf_temp
+.sconf_temp/*
+.sconsign.dblite
+Buildhelper.pyc
+optcache
+
diff --git a/Buildhelper.py b/Buildhelper.py
index d4c1a3a52..282fdb6dc 100644
--- a/Buildhelper.py
+++ b/Buildhelper.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 ##
 ## Buildhelper.py  -  helpers, custom builders, for SConstruct
 ##
-from fnmatch import fnmatch
 
 #  Copyright (C)         CinelerraCV
 #    2007,               Hermann Vosseler <Ichthyostega@web.de>
@@ -29,6 +28,7 @@ import re
 import tarfile
 
 
+
 #
 # Common Helper Functions
 #
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def getTarName(location, defaultName):
     if not os.path.isdir(head):
         print 'Target dir "%s" for Tar doesn\'t exist.' % head
         Exit(1)
-    mat = re.match(r'([\w\.\-])\.((tar)|(tar\.gz)|(tgz))', tail)
+    mat = re.match(r'([\w\.\-\+:\~]+)\.((tar)|(tar\.gz)|(tgz))', tail)
     if mat:
         name = mat.group(1)
         ext  = '.'+mat.group(2)
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index a9609ce49..f5447b317 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #####################################################################
 
 import os
-
 from Buildhelper import *
 
 #-----------------------------------Configuration
@@ -30,9 +29,13 @@ OPTIONSCACHEFILE = 'optcache'
 CUSTOPTIONSFILE  = 'custom-options'
 SRCDIR           = 'src'
 BINDIR           = 'src/bin'
-VERSION          = '3.alpha.1'
+VERSION          = '3+alpha.01'
 #-----------------------------------Configuration
 
+# NOTE: scons -h for help.
+# Read more about the SCons build system at: http://www.scons.org
+# Basically, this script just /defines/ the components and how they
+# fit together. SCons will derive the necessary build steps.
 
 
 
@@ -42,6 +45,9 @@ VERSION          = '3.alpha.1'
 def setupBasicEnvironment():
     ''' define cmdline options, build type decisions
     '''
+    EnsurePythonVersion(2,3)
+    EnsureSConsVersion(0,96,90)
+    
     opts = defineCmdlineOptions() 
  
     env = Environment(options=opts) 
@@ -61,11 +67,11 @@ def setupBasicEnvironment():
 
 def appendCppDefine(env,var,cppVar):
     if env[var]:
-        env.Append(CPPDEFINES={cppVar: env[var]})
+        env.Append(CPPDEFINES = {cppVar: env[var]})
 
 def appendVal(env,var,targetVar,val=None):
     if env[var]:
-        env.Append(**{targetVar: val or env[var]})
+        env.Append( **{targetVar: val or env[var]})
 
 
 
@@ -156,7 +162,8 @@ def definePackagingTargets(env, artifacts):
 
 def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
     ''' define the source file/dirs comprising each artifact to be built.
-        setup sub-environments with special build options if necessary 
+        setup sub-environments with special build options if necessary.
+        We use a custom function to declare a whole tree of srcfiles. 
     '''
     cinobj = ( srcSubtree(env,'backend') 
              + srcSubtree(env,'proc')
@@ -167,7 +174,7 @@ def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
     artifacts['cinelerra'] = env.Program('$BINDIR/cinelerra', cinobj)
     artifacts['plugins']   = env.SharedLibrary('$BINDIR/cinelerra-plugin', plugobj)
     
-    # call subdir SConscript(s)
+    # call subdir SConscript(s) for independent components
     SConscript(dirs=[SRCDIR+'/tool'], exports='env artifacts')
     
 
@@ -197,8 +204,6 @@ def defineInstallTargets(env, artifacts):
 
 ### === MAIN === ####################################################
 
-# NOTE: the following code /defines/ what and how to build
-#       it doesn't "do" the build. SCons will do the "doing"
 
 env = setupBasicEnvironment()
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..382a2e953
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+  main.cpp  -  start the Cinelerra Application
+
+  Copyright (C)         CinelerraCV
+    2007,               Christian Thaeter <ct@pipapo.org>
+                        Hermann Vosseler <Ichthyostega@web.de>
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+  published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+  License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+*/
+
+
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+  {
+    printf("hello cinelerra again\n");
+    return 0;
+  }
diff --git a/src/plugin/helloplugin.c b/src/plugin/helloplugin.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62a033f4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugin/helloplugin.c
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+ * hello.c - demonstrates how to build a standalone tool (C source) 
+ *           integrated into the SCons based build system of Cinelerra
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+  {
+    printf("hello cinelerra world");
+    return 0;
+  }