diff --git a/REQUIREMENTS b/REQUIREMENTS
index 6cc1e9f..0ad20d8 100644
--- a/REQUIREMENTS
+++ b/REQUIREMENTS
@@ -1,7 +1,125 @@
+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 core GStreamer libraries are required which depend on the following:
+
+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:
+===================
+
 This file lists supporting libraries for which gst-plugins contains plugins,
 as well as their minimum version.  You can find the corresponding plugins in
 ext/(library)
 
-a52dec 			0.7.3
-avifile 	>= 	0.6.0 (cvs)
+gdk_pixbuf
+libgnomeui	(for gstplay, gsteditor, autoplug example, several tests)
+libglade	(for gstplay, gsteditor)
+libHermes	(for colorspace conversions; you need this for any video work)
+			http://www.clanlib.org/hermes/
+libghttp	(for httpsrc)
+			http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/stable/sources/libghttp/
+libaudiofile    (for afsrc/afsink)
+			http://oss.sgi.com/projects/audiofile/
+libmad          (for the mad mp3 decoder plugin)
+			http://www.mars.org/home/rob/proj/mpeg/
+libjpeg         (for jpegenc/jpegdec)
+			http://www.ijg.org/
+libopenquicktime (for the QT plugin)
+			http://sourceforge.net/projects/openquicktime/
+libXv		(for videosink)
+libxaudio	(for xa mp3 decoder)
+			http://www.xaudio.com/
+libvorbis	(for vorbisenc, vorbisdec)
+			http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/index.html
+libcdparanoia	(for cdparanoia ripper)
+			http://www.xiph.org/paranoia/index.html
+liblame		(for lame mp3 encoder)
+			http://www.mp3dev.org/mp3/
+libshout	(for the shoutcast plugin)
+			http://www.icecast.org
+libasound	(for the alsa src/sink plugin)
+			http://alsa-project.org/
+ortp		(for the rtp sink plugin)
+			http://www.linphone.org/ortp/
+aalib		(for the aa sink plugin)
+			http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/
+aRts		(for the arts plugin wrapper, and the artsd sink)
+			http://www.arts-project.org
+raw1394/linux1394	(for the dv plugin)
+			http://linux1394.sourceforge.net
+libdvdread	(for the dvdsrc)
+			http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/groups/dvd/
+			(optional: libcss for encrypted DVDs)
+libesound	(for the esd sink 
+			ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/stable/sources/esound)
+gnome-vfs	(for the gnome-vfs src)
+libgsm		(for the gsm plugin)
+			http://kbs.cs.tu-berlin.de/~jutta/toast.html
+sdl		(for the sdl sink)
+			http://www.libsdl.org
+xmms		(for the xmms plugins wrapper)
+			http://www.xmms.org
+mpeg2dec/a52dec	(for mpeg2 related plugins and dvd playback)
+			http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
+			and http://liba52.sourceforge.net/
+		>=	v0.2.1/v0.7.2
+avifile		(for the avi windows decoder plugins)
+                        http://avifile.sourceforge.net/
+			you might want to get the windows libraries 
+			from http://divx.euro.ru/ and put the .dll files 
+			in /usr/lib/win32/
+		>= 	0.6.0 (cvs)
 
+
+flac		(for the FLAC lossless audio format)
+			http://flac.sourceforge.net
+
+
+Required tools:
+===============
+
+An extra set of tools is required if you wish to build GStreamer out of
+CVS (using autogen.sh):
+
+autoconf 2.52
+automake 1.5
+libtool v1.4 or better
+pkgconfig 0.8.0 (http://www.freedesktop.org/software/pkgconfig/)
+
+
+Optional tools:
+===============
+
+gtkdoc
+db2html
+fig2dev
+xsltproc
+
+
+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/