python
libfreenect
opencv (build from source not!)
py-opencv
cvblob


They recommend Ubuntu 10.10 or greater. I had done it on Debian 6

STEP 1
------
Download the OpenNI modules appropriate for your operating system from
http://75.98.78.94/Downloads/OpenNIModules.aspx

NOTE: I tried the unstable versions and it worked fine.

You should download these three:
OpenNI binaries
OpenNI compliant middleware binaries
OpenNI compliant hardware binaries

The downloaded files should like these:
->OpenNI-Bin-Linux32-v1.1.0.41.tar.bz2
->Nite-1.3.1.5.tar.bz2
->Sensor-Bin-Linux32-v5.0.1.32.tar.bz2

Make a new folder called kinect
$ cd
$ mkdir kinect
$ cd kinect
and extract the downloaded files into it.

STEP 2
------
Update your linux
$ sudo apt-get update
install these files which are necessary for proper installation of
drivers
$ sudo apt-get install mono-complete
$ sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0-0-dev
$ sudo apt-get install freeglut3-dev

STEP 3
------
The extracted folders in step 1 will be
->OpenNI-Bin-Linux32-v1.1.0.41
->Sensor-Bin-Linux32-v5.0.1.32
->Nite-1.3.1.5
rename it to OpenNI, Sensor, Nite respectively
Download the folder SensorKinect from https://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect
Extract the folder to kinect folder and rename it to SensorKinect

STEP 4
------
Go to the folder OpenNI, Sensor, Nite and run sudo ./install.sh
$ cd
$ cd kinect
$ cd OpenNI
$ sudo ./install.sh
Check if everything went OK!
$ cd ../Sensor
$ sudo ./install.sh
Check if everything went OK!
$ cd ../Nite
$ sudo ./install.sh
Check if everything went OK!
Use this license when asked during the installation:
0KOIk2JeIBYClPWVnMoRKn5cdY4=
$ cd ../SensorKinect/Platform/Linux-x86/CreateRedist/
$ sudo ./RedistMaker
$ cd ../Redist
$ sudo ./install.sh
Check if everything went OK!
You should be done by now. In case of any confusion refer the README
in SensorKinect folder.

STEP 5
------
Test if everything is working fine
Connect you kinect and run the samples from the OpenNI folder
$ cd ~/kinect/OpenNI/Samples/Bin/Release/
(assuming the kinect folder is in home folder, otherwise go to the
respective folder)
$ ./NiViewer
You should get the depth map and image stream on your window. 

STEP 6
------
get osceleton
cd ~/kinect
git clonegit://github.com/Sensebloom/OSCeleton.git
NB requires glut and glut-dev
cd OSCeleton

edit makefile to include -lpthread (g++ -lpthread file2osc ...  
							.. osc2file ... 
							.. osc2txt ...)

make

get pyosceleton
cd ~/kinect
git clone git://gitorious.org/pyosceleton/pyosceleton.git

and get the python OSC interpreter
cd ~/kinect
git clone git://gitorious.org/pyosc/devel.git
cd devel
sudo python setyp.py install


#make sure std webcam drivers don't interfere
sudo modprobe -r gspca_kinect

And then blacklisting to avoid it to be auto-loaded on boot:
sudo sh -c 'echo "blacklist gspca_kinect" > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-kinect.con