this applies to current svn HEAD on linux fedora/redhat x86_64 

the build system fails to build a shared library (libgs.so) because of missing
compiler flag -fPIC

> make distclean; ./autogen.sh && make so
...

        /bin/sh <./obj/../soobj/ldt.tr
/usr/bin/ld: ./obj/../soobj/gp_unix.o: relocation R_X86_64_32 against
`.rodata.str1.1' can not be used when making a shared object; recompile with -fPIC
./obj/../soobj/gp_unix.o: could not read symbols: Bad value
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[1]: *** [bin/../sobin/libgs.so.8.71] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/ghost/gs'
make: *** [so] Error 2


I found that adding -fPIC in 2 places allows me to build libgs.so 
There is probably a better place in the build system to consolidate these flags.
Therefore I don't propose this to be a proper patch but simply a helpful observation

# svn diff base/Makefile.in
Index: base/Makefile.in
===================================================================
--- base/Makefile.in    (revision 10320)
+++ base/Makefile.in    (working copy)
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
 # Define the added flags for standard, debugging, profiling
 # and shared object builds.

-CFLAGS_STANDARD=@OPT_CFLAGS@
+CFLAGS_STANDARD=@OPT_CFLAGS@ -fPIC
 CFLAGS_DEBUG=-g -O0
 CFLAGS_PROFILE=-pg @OPT_CFLAGS@
 CFLAGS_SO=@DYNAMIC_CFLAGS@

# svn diff base/libtiff.mak
Index: base/libtiff.mak
===================================================================
--- base/libtiff.mak    (revision 10320)
+++ base/libtiff.mak    (working copy)
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # Define the name of this makefile.
 LIBTIFF_MAK=$(GLSRC)libtiff.mak

-TIFFCC=$(CC) $(I_)$(TI_) $(II)$(JI_)$(_I) $(PF_)
+TIFFCC=$(CC) -fPIC $(I_)$(TI_) $(II)$(JI_)$(_I) $(PF_)

 PDEP = $(AK) $(TIFFGEN)tif_config.h $(TIFFGEN)tiffconf.h


Cheers
T.