This how-to has been tested on Ubuntu 13.10 in a clean, up to date environment. Older Ubuntu distros required some hacks if I remembered rightly. Other Debian based distros should be able to follow this adjusting for dependencies. Please update this if you get it working on another distro.

Satisfying dependencies

Make the first stab at getting qemu dependencies

    apt-get  build-dep qemu

This next command grabs all the dependencies specified in the debian control file as asked for from upstream Debian sid You can look into the options specified there and adjust to taste.

    # get almost all the rest and the tools to work up the Debian magic
    apt-get install devscripts quilt libiscsi-dev libusbredirparser-dev libssh2-1-dev libvdeplug-dev libjpeg-dev glusterfs*

we need a newer version of libseccomp for Ubuntu 13.10

    mkdir libseccomp
    cd libseccomp
    # grab it from upstream sid
    wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/libs/libseccomp/libseccomp_2.1.0+dfsg.orig.tar.gz
    wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/libs/libseccomp/libseccomp_2.1.0+dfsg-1.debian.tar.gz
    # get it ready
    tar xf libseccomp_2.1.0+dfsg.orig.tar.gz 
    cd libseccomp-2.1.0+dfsg/
    # install the debian magic
    tar xf ../libseccomp_2.1.0+dfsg-1.debian.tar.gz
    # apply series files if any
    while quilt push; do quilt refresh; done
    # build debs, they'll appear one directory up
    debuild -i -us -uc -b
    cd ..
    # install it
    dpkg -i *.deb

Building QEMU

This next part is straightforward if your dependencies are met. For the advanced reader look around debian/control once it is extracted before you install as you may want to change what options QEMU is built with and what targets are requested.

    cd ..
    mkdir qemu
    cd qemu
    # download our sources. you'll want to check back frequently on these for changes
    wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/q/qemu/qemu_1.7.0+dfsg.orig.tar.xz
    wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/q/qemu/qemu_1.7.0+dfsg-2.debian.tar.gz
    wget http://download.gluster.org/pub/gluster/glusterfs/3.4/LATEST/glusterfs-3.4.2.tar.gz
    tar xf glusterfs-3.4.2.tar.gz 
    tar xf qemu_1.7.0+dfsg.orig.tar.xz 
    cd qemu-1.7.0+dfsg/
    # unpack the debian magic
    tar xf ../qemu_1.7.0+dfsg-2.debian.tar.gz
    # bring glusterfs in to the buiild
    cp -r ../glusterfs-3.4.2 glusterfs
    # the glusterfs check in configure looks around weird. I've never asked why but moving the src stuff up one works and tests fine
    cd glusterfs/api/
    mv src/* .
    cd ../..
    #you'll need to edit debian/control to enable glusterfs replacing

     - ##--enable-glusterfs todo 
     + # --enable-glusterfs 
     + glusterfs-common (>= 3.4.0),

    #And finally build. It'll take ages.  http://xkcd.com/303/
    # apply series if any
    while quilt push; do quilt refresh; done
    # build packages
    debuild -i -us -uc -b
    cd ..

Your debs now available to install. It is up to the reader to determine what targets they want installed.