This is occurring to me frequently whenever I use the 'make' command or attempt to compile a KDevelop project, so there's probably a simple explanation. For example, I am trying to compile the Konserve software from source, and when using 'make' I receive the following:

make all-recursive
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/konserve-0.10'
Making all in konserve
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/konserve-0.10/konserve'
Making all in .
make[3]: Entering directory `/home/konserve-0.10/konserve'
/bin/sh ../libtool --silent --mode=link --tag=CXX g++ -Wnon-virtual-dtor -Wno-long-long -Wundef -Wall -pedantic -W -Wpointer-arith -Wwrite-strings -ansi -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=500 -D_BSD_SOURCE -Wcast-align -Wconversion -O2 -fno-exceptions -fno-check-new -o konserve -L/usr/X11R6/lib -L/usr/lib/qt3/lib -L/usr/lib -R /usr/lib -R /usr/lib/qt3/lib -R /usr/X11R6/lib helper.o backupprofile.o profilemanager.o dumpable.o timeinterval.o configurator.o systemtraywidget.o wizard.o profilemngrinterface.o configurationdlg.o main.o konserve.o configurationdlgbase.o identifierwidget.o sourceurlwidget.o backupurlwidget.o timeintervalwidget.o finalwidget.o konserve.moc.o systemtraywidget.moc.o profilemanager.moc.o backupprofile.moc.o wizard.moc.o configurationdlg.moc.o -lqt-mt -lpng -lz -lm -lXext -lX11 -lSM -lICE -lpthread -lkdecore -lkdeui -lkio
libtool: link: cannot find the library `/usr/lib/libfam.la'
make[3]: *** [konserve] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/konserve-0.10/konserve'
make[2]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/konserve-0.10/konserve'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/konserve-0.10'
make: *** [all] Error 2

Any light on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Well, it appears it can't find: libfam.la

Your error here:
libtool: link: cannot find the library `/usr/lib/libfam.la'

Check out this link, first hit off a google search to bring you back to great 'ol LQ.org: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/history/69312

Thanks. I've installed the right package and I now get the following:

make all-recursive
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10'
Making all in konserve
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/konserve'
Making all in .
make[3]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/konserve'
/bin/sh ../libtool --silent --mode=link --tag=CXX g++ -Wnon-virtual-dtor -Wno-long-long -Wundef -Wall -pedantic -W -Wpointer-arith -Wwrite-strings -ansi -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=500 -D_BSD_SOURCE -Wcast-align -Wconversion -O2 -fno-exceptions -fno-check-new -o konserve -L/usr/X11R6/lib -L/usr/lib/qt3/lib -L/usr/lib -R /usr/lib -R /usr/lib/qt3/lib -R /usr/X11R6/lib helper.o backupprofile.o profilemanager.o dumpable.o timeinterval.o configurator.o systemtraywidget.o wizard.o profilemngrinterface.o configurationdlg.o main.o konserve.o configurationdlgbase.o identifierwidget.o sourceurlwidget.o backupurlwidget.o timeintervalwidget.o finalwidget.o konserve.moc.o systemtraywidget.moc.o profilemanager.moc.o backupprofile.moc.o wizard.moc.o configurationdlg.moc.o -lqt-mt -lpng -lz -lm -lXext -lX11 -lSM -lICE -lpthread -lkdecore -lkdeui -lkio
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/konserve'
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/konserve'
Making all in po
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/po'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/po'
Making all in doc
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc'
Making all in .
make[3]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc'
make[3]: Nothing to be done for `all-am'.
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc'
Making all in konserve
make[3]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc/konserve'
/usr/bin/meinproc --check --cache index.cache.bz2 ./index.docbook
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc/konserve'
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10/doc'
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all-am'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/duck/Documents/konserve-0.10'

Make install doesn't work either.

Um...I can't see an error message above. Perhaps you haven't posted all of the final output?

Sorry. You're quite right. There isn't an error. The error was in the make install command but I've fixed that now because I realise I should have been in root.

Thanks for your help.