Compiling latest GNOME-Shell

Unfortunately, you do need to "compile half of the GNOME desktop" to get the most up-to-date git snapshots of GNOME-Shell. Well maybe a quarter. Luckily, there is a set up script and JHBuild moduleset that you can use to build it and satisfy the dependencies fairly easily.

First, download and run the setup script:

curl -O http://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-shell/plain/tools/build/gnome-shell-build-setup.sh
/bin/bash gnome-shell-build-setup.sh

Then build GNOME-Shell and its dependencies by running:

jhbuild build

More detailed information on the process can be found on the GNOME wiki.

If this isn't working, you might want to check the list of common problems on the wiki. Work-a-rounds can often be found there.

have you tried the steps in the following article at WebUpd8?