diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2217c066..37cc4dd7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -53,8 +53,40 @@ AC_SUBST(ARFLAGS)
 
 dnl Add gts/glib includes, this will probably need to be made more
 dnl flexible in the future.
-CFLAGS="$CFLAGS `gts-config --cflags`"
-CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS `gts-config --cflags`"
+AC_CHECK_PROG(GLIB, glib-config, yes, no)
+AC_CHECK_PROG(GTS, gts-config, yes, no)
+
+if test "$GLIB" = "no"; then
+  echo
+  echo "Unable to find glib-config."
+  echo
+  echo "This program is needed to determine the compiler flags needed for"
+  echo "the glib library. Please make sure this linrary is installed and"
+  echo "the program is in the search path."
+  echo
+  echo "Please read README.gts" for more details.
+  echo
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if test "$GTS" = "no"; then
+  echo
+  echo "Unable to find gts-config."
+  echo
+  echo "This program is needed to determine the compiler flags needed for"
+  echo "the gts library. Please make sure this linrary is installed and"
+  echo "the program is in the search path."
+  echo
+  echo "Please read README.gts" for more details.
+  echo
+  exit 1
+
+fi
+
+SUPPORT_FLAGS="`gts-config --cflags` `glib-config --cflags`"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $SUPPORT_FLAGS"
+CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $SUPPORT_FLAGS"
+CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $SUPPORT_FLAGS"
 
 dnl Specify if we want logging (testing build) or not (release build)
 # set logging default value
@@ -98,36 +130,39 @@ AC_PATH_XTRA
 dnl Checks for libraries.
 
 null_LIBS="$LIBS"
+LIBS=""
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(m, cos)
+dnl search for network related libraries
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(inet_addr, xnet)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(socket, socket)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(main, nsl)
 
-base_LIBS="$LIBS `gts-config --libs`"
+network_LIBS="$LIBS"
+LIBS=""
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(socket, socket)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(X11, XCreateWindow)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(Xext, XShmCreateImage)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(Xi, XGetExtensionVersion)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(ICE, IceOpenConnection)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(SM, SmcOpenConnection)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(Xt, XtMalloc)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(Xmu, XmuLookupStandardColormap)
+dnl check for some default libraries
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(cos, m)
+
+base_LIBS="$LIBS"
+support_LIBS="`gts-config --libs` `glib-config --libs`"
+
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(XCreateWindow, X11)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(XShmCreateImage, Xext)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(XGetExtensionVersion, Xi)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(IceOpenConnection, ICE)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(SmcOpenConnection, SM)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(XtMalloc, Xt)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(XmuLookupStandardColormap, Xmu)
 
 dnl check for OpenGL related libraries
 
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_windows_h" != "xyes" ; then
     dnl Reasonable stuff for non-windoze variants ... :-)
 
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(GLcore, glNewList)
-    if test "x$ac_cv_lib_GLcore_glNewList" = "xno" ; then
-	dnl if no GLcore, check for GL
-	AC_CHECK_LIB(GL, glNewList)
-	if test "x$ac_cv_lib_GL_glNewList" = "xno" ; then
-	    dnl if no GL, check for MesaGL
-	    AC_CHECK_LIB(MesaGL, glNewList)
-	fi
-    else
-	dnl if GLcore found, then also check for GL
-	AC_CHECK_LIB(GL, glXCreateContext)
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS(glNewList, [ GL GLcore MesaGL ])
+    if test "x$ac_cv_search_glNewList" = "x-lGLcore"; then
+        dnl if GLcore found, then also check for GL
+        AC_SEARCH_LIBS(glXCreateContext, GL)
     fi
 
     dnl if using mesa, check for xmesa.h
@@ -139,20 +174,9 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_header_windows_h" != "xyes" ; then
         fi
     fi
 
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(GLU, gluLookAt)
-    if test "x$ac_cv_lib_GLU_gluLookAt" = "xno" ; then
-	dnl if no GLU, check for MesaGLU
-	AC_CHECK_LIB(MesaGLU, gluLookAt)
-    fi
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS(gluLookAt, [ GLU MesaGLU ])
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS(glutGetModifiers, [ glut freeglut ])
 
-    dnl check for glut
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(glut, glutGetModifiers)
-
-    dnl test for glutGameModeString, but avoid adding glut a second time into
-    dnl the list of libraries
-    save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(glut, glutGameModeString)
-    LIBS="$save_LIBS"
 else
     dnl Win32 is a little wierd because it has to try to handle the various
     dnl winbloze-isms.  We'll just do this manually for now.
@@ -198,14 +222,16 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_lib_glut_glutGameModeString" = "xno"; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# needed for plib 1.6.x or later
+AC_CHECK_LIB(plibul, ulInit,,,)
+
 opengl_LIBS="$LIBS"
 LIBS="$base_LIBS"
 
 AC_SUBST(base_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(opengl_LIBS)
-
-# needed for plib 1.6.x or later 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(plibul, ulInit,,,)
+AC_SUBST(network_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(support_LIBS)
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_XWINDOWS, test "x$ac_cv_lib_X11_XCreateWindow" = "xyes" )
 
@@ -228,6 +254,18 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADER(nurbs++/nurbsS.h)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_NURBS, test "x$ac_cv_header_nurbspp_nurbsS_h" = "xyes" )
 AC_LANG_POP
 
+AC_CHECK_HEADER(gts.h)
+if test "x$ac_cv_header_gts_h" != "xyes"; then
+    echo
+    echo "You *must* have the gts library installed on your system to build"
+    echo "TerraGear!"
+    echo
+    echo "Please see README.gts for more details."
+    echo
+    echo "configure aborted."
+    exit
+fi
+
 dnl Check if Generic Polygon Clipping library is installed
 dnl (from http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/aig/staff/alan/software/)
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS( gpc.h )
@@ -406,8 +444,8 @@ fi
 
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_nurbspp_nurbsS_h" != "xyes"; then
     echo
-    echo "You *must* have the nurbs++ library installed on your system to build"
-    echo "TerraGears GenAirport utility!"
+    echo "You must have the nurbs++ library installed on your system to build"
+    echo "the GenAirport utility. This program will not be build now."
     echo
     echo "Please see README.nurbs++ for more details."
     echo
diff --git a/src/BuildTiles/Parallel/Makefile.am b/src/BuildTiles/Parallel/Makefile.am
index aab470d7..c37de193 100644
--- a/src/BuildTiles/Parallel/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/BuildTiles/Parallel/Makefile.am
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = fgfs-tools-server fgfs-tools-client
 
 fgfs_tools_server_SOURCES = server.cxx
 
-fgfs_tools_server_LDADD = -lsgbucket -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml
+fgfs_tools_server_LDADD = -lsgbucket -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml $(network_LIBS)
 
 fgfs_tools_client_SOURCES = client.cxx
 
-fgfs_tools_client_LDADD = -lsgbucket -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml
+fgfs_tools_client_LDADD = -lsgbucket -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml $(network_LIBS)
 
 INCLUDES = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src \
diff --git a/src/Lib/Array/Makefile.am b/src/Lib/Array/Makefile.am
index f8b9511e..b78215b2 100644
--- a/src/Lib/Array/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Lib/Array/Makefile.am
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ testarray_SOURCES = testarray.cxx
 
 testarray_LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/Lib/Array/libArray.a \
-	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml -lz -lgts
+	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml \
+	$(support_LIBS) -lz 
 
 testgts_SOURCES = testgts.cxx
 
 testgts_LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/Lib/Array/libArray.a \
-	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml -lz -lgts
+	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml \
+	$(support_LIBS) -lz
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/src
diff --git a/src/Prep/ArrayFit/Makefile.am b/src/Prep/ArrayFit/Makefile.am
index 5892aab7..0f3bf596 100644
--- a/src/Prep/ArrayFit/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Prep/ArrayFit/Makefile.am
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ arrayfit_SOURCES = arrayfit.cxx
 
 arrayfit_LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/Lib/Array/libArray.a \
-	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml -lz -lgts
+	-lsgbucket -lsgmath -lsgmisc -lsgdebug -lsgxml \
+	$(support_LIBS) -lz
 
 demo_SOURCES = demo.cxx
 
-demo_LDADD = -lz -lgts
+demo_LDADD = $(support_LIBS) -lz
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_srcdir)/src/Lib
diff --git a/src/Prep/DemRaw2ascii/rawdem.c b/src/Prep/DemRaw2ascii/rawdem.c
index d54c0737..a6c25907 100644
--- a/src/Prep/DemRaw2ascii/rawdem.c
+++ b/src/Prep/DemRaw2ascii/rawdem.c
@@ -61,13 +61,14 @@ double round( double a ) {
 
 int reads(int fd, char *buf, unsigned int len) {
   unsigned int i = 0;
-  int res;
   char c;
 
   len--;
-  while ( (i < len) && ((res = read(fd, &c, 1)) != 0)
-          &&  ((c != '\n') && (c != '\r')) )
+  while ( (i < len) && (read(fd, &c, 1) != 0) )
   {
+    if ((c == '\n') || (c == '\r') )
+      break;
+
     buf[i++] = c;
   }
 
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ int reads(int fd, char *buf, unsigned int len) {
 
   buf[i] = '\0';
 
-  return res;
+  return i;
 }
 
 
@@ -97,9 +98,9 @@ void rawReadDemHdr( fgRAWDEM *raw, char *hdr_file ) {
     raw->big_endian = 1;
 
     /* process each line */
-    while ( (reads(fileno(hdr), line, 256) != NULL) ) {
+    while ( (reads(fileno(hdr), line, 256) != 0) ) {
 
-	/* printf("%s", line); */
+	printf("%s", line);
 	len = strlen(line);
 
 	/* extract key */