Thanks all, they key was using a different lisp implementation (I chose clisp). Now managed to build maxima 5.25.1 and wxMaxima 11.08 for my machine.
> Subject: Re: [Maxima] (no subject)
> From: biomates at telefonica.net
> To: kderrick at hotmail.com
> CC: maxima at math.utexas.edu
> Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:13:41 +0100
>
> El mi?, 14-12-2011 a las 17:16 -0800, Keith Derrick escribi?:
> > Someone suggested I look at vtk for plotting. Unfortunately, that
> > needs 5.24 or higher
> >
> > I installed wxMaxima via Ubuntu's repository manager which gives me
> > the following build info
>
> Keith,
>
> You don't need to compile Maxima to try the Maxima vtk interface. Since
> you have root access, download folder /share/draw from the repository
> and substitute it in your local installation.
>
> Regarding compilation, as Dan suggested, try clisp or sbcl in Ubuntu. I
> used to compile Maxima with gcl in Ubuntu in the past, but for some
> reason, the procedure no longer works and I gave up with it.
>
> --
> Mario
>