diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 26d8b13d9..b5ce9ac4c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-*build*
+*build*/
 *flymake*
 CMakeLists.txt.user*
 *.patch
diff --git a/doc/building.rst b/doc/building.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad1f05cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/building.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+Building the Client
+===================
+
+The ownCloud Client requires Mirall and CSync_. Mirall is the GUI frontend,
+while CSync is responsible for handling the actual synchronization process.
+
+Linux
+-----
+
+1. Add the `ownCloud repository from OBS`_.
+2. Install the dependencies (as root, or via sudo):
+
+  * Debian/Ubuntu: ``apt-get update; apt-get build-dep owncloud-client``
+  * openSUSE: ``zypper ref; zypper si -d owncloud-client``
+  * Fedora: ``yum install yum-utils; yum-builddep owncloud-client``
+
+3. Follow the generic build instructions.
+
+Mac OS X
+--------
+
+Follow the generic build instructions.
+ 
+You can install the missing dependencies via MacPorts_ or Homebrew_.
+This is only needed on the build machine, since non-standard libs
+will be deployed in the app bundle.
+
+The only exception to this rule is libiniparser_, which lacks a decent
+build system. You need to copy the header and lib files to
+``/usr/local/include`` and ``/usr/local/lib`` respectively. 
+
+.. note::
+  You should not call ``make install`` at any time, since the product of the
+  mirall build is an app bundle. Call ``make package`` instead to create an
+  install-ready disk image.
+
+Windows (cross-compile)
+-----------------------
+
+Due to the amount of dependencies that csync entails, building the client
+for Windows is **currently only supported on openSUSE**, by using the MinGW
+cross compiler. You can set up openSUSE 12.1 or 12.2 in a virtual machine
+if you do not have it installed already.
+
+In order to cross-compile, the following repositories need to be added
+via YaST or ``zypper ar`` (adjust when using openSUSE 12.2)::
+
+  http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/isv:/ownCloud:/devel:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_12.1/isv:ownCloud:devel:mingw:win32.repo
+  http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/windows:/mingw/openSUSE_12.1/windows:mingw.repo
+  http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/windows:/mingw:/win32/openSUSE_12.1/windows:mingw:win32.repo
+
+Next, install the cross-compiler packages and the cross-compiled dependencies::
+
+  zypper si -d mingw32-ocsync
+  zypper si -d mingw32-owncloud-client 
+
+Now, follow the generic build instructions, but make sure to append
+the following parameter to both cmake calls::
+
+  -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../mirall/admin/win/Toolchain-mingw32-openSUSE.cmake
+
+Finally, just build by running ``make``. ``make package`` will produce
+an NSIS-based installer, provided the NSIS mingw32 packages are installed.
+
+Generic Build Instructions
+--------------------------
+
+At the moment, ownCloud Client requires a forked version of CSync. Both
+CMake and Mirall can be downloaded at ownCloud's `Client Download Page`_.
+
+If you want to build the leading edge version of the client, you should
+use the latest versions of Mirall and CSync via Git_, like so::
+
+  git clone git://git.csync.org/users/freitag/csync.git ocsync
+  git clone git://github.com/owncloud/mirall.git
+
+Next, create build directories::
+
+  mkdir ocsync-build
+  mkdir mirall-build
+
+This guide assumes that all directories are residing next to each other.
+Next, make sure to check out the 'dav' branch in the newly checked out
+`ocsync` directory::
+
+  cd ocsync
+  git checkout dav
+
+The first package to buidld is CSync::
+
+  cd ocsync-build
+  cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Debug" -DLOG_TO_CALLBACK=ON -DWITH_LOG4C=OFF ../ocsync
+  make
+
+You probably have to satisfy some dependencies. Make sure to install all the
+needed development packages. You will need ``iniparser``, ``sqlite3`` as well as
+``neon`` for the ownCloud module. ``libssh`` and ``libsmbclient`` are optional
+and not required for the client to work. If you want to install the client, run
+``make install`` as a final step.
+
+Next, we build mirall::
+
+  cd ../mirall-build
+  cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Debug" ../mirall \
+        -DCSYNC_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY=../ocsync-build \
+        -DCSYNC_INCLUDE_DIRECTORY=../ocsync/src
+
+If this succeeds, call ``make``. The owncloud binary should appear in the
+``bin`` directory. You can also run ``make install`` to install the client to
+``/usr/local/bin``.
+
+.. _`ownCloud repository from OBS`: http://software.opensuse.org/download/package?project=isv:ownCloud:devel&package=owncloud-client
+.. _CSync: http://www.csync.org
+.. _`Client Download Page`: http://owncloud.org/sync-clients/
+.. _Git: http://git-scm.com
+.. _MacPorts: http://www.macports.org
+.. _Homebrew: http://mxcl.github.com/homebrew/
+.. _libiniparser: http://ndevilla.free.fr/iniparser/
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index 35d087202..ae0e31bc3 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Contents
 
    install
    usage 
+   building 
 
 .. Indices and tables
 .. ==================