Compiling xterm with 256-color support

[<kynn@panix.com>]

I've been fighting with this for a couple of days now and getting
nowhere; any help would be much appreciated.  I want to compile xterm
with 256-color support.  I downloaded the source from Debian (which
comes as a small part of the MUCH larger xfree86 package), and
attempted to compile the xterm application.  After much trial and lots
more error I managed to compile xterm, but the result is a non-viable
monstruous creature.  Most of the emulated terminal falls outside of
the window; one can only see about 15% of it; and along the top there
are three old-fashioned-looking buttons, something out of the earliest
days of Athena widgets: Main Options, VT Options, VT Fonts; clicking
on any of these buttons crashes the "xterm".  Worst of all, I can't
get this monster to display 256 colors, even though I configured it
with the --enable-256-color option.

All I want is a decent terminal emulator with 256 color support; it
doesn't have to be xterm-256color.  I'd be grateful for any help with
this.