diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/openalSoft/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/openalSoft/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..dae9e90522cbf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/openalSoft/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+args:
+args.stdenv.mkDerivation {
+#The current release is still in a testing phase, though it should be stable
+# (neither the ABI or API will break). Please try it out and let me know how it
+#  works. :-)
+
+  name = "openal-soft-testing";
+
+  src = args.fetchurl {
+    url = http://kcat.strangesoft.net/OpenAL.tar.bz2?2;
+    sha256 = "7b53c3e6eda1a71010651eb058c71c9b0c86b3c15cae5f0ffeeb7222531aa97d";
+  };
+
+  buildInputs =(with args; [cmake alsaLib]);
+  #phases = "buildPhase installPhase";
+
+  buildPhase = "ensureDir \$out; cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=\$out .; make; make install;";
+  
+  meta = {
+      description = "openal alternative";
+      homepage = http://kcat.strangesoft.net/openal.html;
+      license = "GPL2";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index d4b6235b4ced1c..b7a8717679c6da 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2161,12 +2161,23 @@ rec {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv alsaLib autoconf automake libtool;
   };
 
+  # added because I hope that it has been easier to compile on x86 (for blender)
+  openalSoft = import ../development/libraries/openalSoft {
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv alsaLib libtool cmake;
+  };
+
   openbabel = import ../development/libraries/openbabel {
 	  inherit fetchurl stdenv zlib libxml2;
   };
 
-  openexr = import ../development/libraries/openexr {
+  openexr_1_6_1 = import ../development/libraries/openexr {
 	  inherit fetchurl stdenv ilmbase zlib pkgconfig;
+          version = "1.6.1";
+  };
+  # This older version is needed by blender (it complains about missing half.h )
+  openexr_1_4_0 = import ../development/libraries/openexr {
+	  inherit fetchurl stdenv ilmbase zlib pkgconfig;
+          version = "1.4.0";
   };
 
   openldap = import ../development/libraries/openldap {
@@ -3550,6 +3561,24 @@ rec {
   #  inherit lib stdenv fetchurl ncurses;
   #};
 
+  # only to be able to compile blender - I couldn't compile the default openal software
+  # Perhaps this can be removed - don't know which one openal{,soft} is better
+  freealut_soft = import ../development/libraries/freealut {
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv;
+    openal = openalSoft;
+  };
+  blender = import ../applications/misc/blender {
+    inherit cmake mesa gettext freetype SDL libtiff fetchurl glibc scons x11
+      libjpeg libpng zlib /* smpeg  sdl */;
+    inherit (xlibs) inputproto libXi;
+    lib = lib_unstable;
+    python = python25;
+    freealut = freealut_soft;
+    openal = openalSoft;
+    stdenv = stdenvUsingSetupNew2;
+    openexr = openexr_1_4_0;
+  };
+
   bmp = import ../applications/audio/bmp {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig libogg libvorbis alsaLib id3lib;
     inherit (gnome) esound libglade;