Error linking OgreAl (VS8 solution?)

Okay, i checked for this specific problem and didn't return anything on the OgreAL forums.
I need to get OgreAL to compile a project in a book(CPPhtP) for a class. Ive seen a few posts referencing this, saying how it leaves readers completely hanging, but no complete follow-through.
I followed all instructions in the sticky post, after hours of work, and now realize that it has not been working because I have been trying to compile the VS2005 solution, and not the VS8 solution. Is there a VS8 solution available? The sticky refers to it but it is not available as one of the solutions in the OgreAL source.
I'm getting the linker error 2>LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file 'OgreMain_d.lib', and also warns that it cannot find the ALUT_BIN and OGRE_SRC environment variables even though (as for the former) it is no longer required AFAIK and I am using the Ogre SDK.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Alex

PS I dislike VS in favor of FOSS, but intended to distribute the files to classmates who don't care. As for Code::Blocks, though, it includes the workspace file but when I try to compile it gives an error referencing #include_next<st..> as being an invalid preprocessor command. Was it meant to be compiled through C::B?

Compiling with Code::Blocks is giveing us a great deal of trouble, I am not sure why, as for the solutions there should be two, one is called OgreAL.sln and that is for VS8, which is also called VS2005, and the other is called OgreAL_VC2003.sln, VS2003 is also called VS7.1, so if you are using VS8, you'll want to build the OgreAL.sln. Also, just to make sure, are you using the latest version in SVN?

Ok, *kicks self* did not realize that they used 7.1, 8 as versions as well as 2003, 2005. That was just a theory, anyways. However, for some reason i read it as not being able to open it but it (the .lib) was in existence, but it is not there, probably because i installed the SDK for mingw, intended to use that, and switched over without realizing that it was incompatible. I'm reinstalling, then trying again - just needed ogreAL for that project, is all.

Ok, let me know once you get that one installed if it's working for you.