This is  a simple and  short tutorial on how to set up Kinect for your Linux Mint 12 (It also should work fine with Ubuntu 10.10 Ubuntu 12.04). For this task OpenNI Framework is going to be used. The official short description of OpenNI is :

The OpenNI Framework provides the interface for physical devices and for middleware components. The API enables modules to be registered in the OpenNI framework and used to produce sensory data. Selecting the hardware or middleware module is easy and flexible.

This Tutorial will use the NITE middleware to enable skeleton tracking and avin2 Hardware binaries which will permit to use Kinect (for Xbox ) (Xbox and Windows Version) as the hardware. If  by any chance  you have a Kinect for Microsoft and want to use OpenNI you are out of luck; Until the publication date of  this  post there is no Hardware binaries that works with Linux.

To install KInect with OpenNI and NITE please follow the next 8 steps, with your Kinect Unplugged.

Step 1 - Install Required support library

First step is to check if you have all the needed libraries, and if they are up to date.

If you have a Nvidia graphics card it's recommended to have the latest drivers: Instruction here

Step 2 - Create a folder for holding the download and the installation

I recommend to create a 'kinect'  in your home folder:

Step 3 - Download the OpenNI , NITE and AVIN2

It's going to be necessary to download to the created folder the latest OpenNI  Binary and the NITE middleware. Until the publication of this tutorial the most recent version available were :

1. OpenNI stable build for Ubuntu 10.10 - v1.5.2.23
2. PrimeSense NITE stable build for Ubuntu 10.10 - v1.5.2.21$^*$ These version were the first stable release to support skeleton tracking without calibration pose.

* Update 06-JUN-2012*

If you are using  Ubuntu 12.04 make sure to have the following versions (or newer) :

1. OpenNI UNstable build for Ubuntu 12.04- - v1.5.4
2. PrimeSense NITE UNstable build for Ubuntu 12.04 - v1.5.2.21

You can download the latest modules here : http://www.openni.org/Downloads/OpenNIModules.aspx

It's also going to be necessary to download the avin2 hardware driver for Kinect : https://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect/zipball/unstable.

Step 4 - Extract the downloaded zip to the desired folder

Now Extract The files and Rename the folders:

Your 'kinect' folder should have 3 zipped files. Extract the OpenNI zip file and rename the folder to 'openni'.
Repeat the procedure for NITE renaming the new folder to 'nite'  and for avin2 renaming it to 'sensorkin'.
Step 5 - Install OpenNI

Step 6 - Install  AVIN2

Please note that the Folder 'Sensor-Bin-Linux-x64-v5.1.0.25' might change name in new releases of AVIN2., Now continuing with the instruction set:

Step 7 - Install NITE

Step 8 - Test it!

Go ahead and plug in your Kinect to the outlet and to your USB port.  Now lets try to run a few samples programs that come along with OpenNI, to do so go to you Bin Release folder and run one of the program of your choice, for instance:

Done, everything should be working fine by now. If any doubt in OpenNI arrises check the Official OpenNI google group

$Enjoy$