diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8f8cf32e..9e54f312 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -17,7 +17,15 @@
 - dzsave --layout google has a @background option
 - dzsave has a --depth option
 - update for new glib threading API
-- remove no threads option
+- remove no threads option, glib no longer support it
+- better --help output for vips driver prog
+- vipsthumbnail -o allows absolute file names
+
+14/11/12 started 7.30.6
+- capture tiff warnings earlier
+
+14/11/12 started 7.30.5
+- fix libtool version mess up (thanks Benjamin)
 
 2/10/12 started 7.30.4
 - remove options from format string in .dzi (thanks Martin)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e974b468..6bd0cf19 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Then for a debug build:
 # Dependencies 
 
 libvips has to have gettext, glib-2.x and libxml-2.0. The build system needs 
-sh, pkg-config and gnu make.
+sh, pkg-config, swig, gtk-doc-tools, automake, gobject-introspection and gnu make.
 
 # Optional dependencies
 
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 733b1fb9..09cfa291 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+
+- have a web page with a list of the python member names
+
+	$ vips cpph all | grep join
+	VImage bandjoin( VImage bandjoin_in2 ) throw( VError );
+	static VImage 
+		gbandjoin( std::vector<VImage> gbandjoin_in ) throw( VError );
+	VImage lrjoin( VImage lrjoin_in2 ) throw( VError );
+	VImage tbjoin( VImage tbjoin_in2 ) throw( VError );
+
+  could generate some docs too?
+
+  perhaps it should be part of vips.c
+
+
+- check libtool version number, should be binary-compat with 7.30 
+
 - quadratic doesn't work for order 3
 
   start to get jaggies on lines --- the 3rd differential isn't being 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/tiff.h b/libvips/foreign/tiff.h
index d9ab22f4..009c0448 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/tiff.h
+++ b/libvips/foreign/tiff.h
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 extern const char *vips__foreign_tiff_suffs[];
 
-void vips__thandler_error( const char *module, const char *fmt, va_list ap );
-void vips__thandler_warning( const char *module, const char *fmt, va_list ap );
+void vips__tiff_init( void );
 
 int vips__tiff_write( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, 
 	VipsForeignTiffCompression compression, int Q, 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/tiff2vips.c b/libvips/foreign/tiff2vips.c
index ddfcf730..7cb8f3c9 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/tiff2vips.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/tiff2vips.c
@@ -229,13 +229,13 @@ typedef struct {
  * more than one thread, but vips_error and vips_warn have mutexes in, so that's
  * OK.
  */
-void 
+static void 
 vips__thandler_error( const char *module, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 {
 	vips_verror( module, fmt, ap );
 }
 
-void 
+static void 
 vips__thandler_warning( const char *module, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 {
 	char buf[256];
@@ -244,6 +244,16 @@ vips__thandler_warning( const char *module, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 	vips_warn( module, "%s", buf );
 }
 
+/* Call this during startup. Other libraries may be using libtiff and we want
+ * to capture any messages they send as well.
+ */
+void
+vips__tiff_init( void )
+{
+	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
+	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+}
+
 /* Test for field exists.
  */
 static int
@@ -1506,8 +1516,7 @@ istiffpyramid( const char *name )
 {
 	TIFF *tif;
 
-	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
-	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+	vips__tiff_init();
 
 	if( (tif = get_directory( name, 2 )) ) {
 		// We can see page 2 ... assume it is.
@@ -1529,8 +1538,7 @@ vips__tiff_read( const char *filename, VipsImage *out, int page )
 	printf( "tiff2vips: libtiff starting for %s\n", filename );
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
-	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
-	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+	vips__tiff_init();
 
 	if( !(rtiff = readtiff_new( filename, out, page )) )
 		return( -1 );
@@ -1558,8 +1566,7 @@ vips__tiff_read_header( const char *filename, VipsImage *out, int page )
 {
 	ReadTiff *rtiff;
 
-	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
-	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+	vips__tiff_init();
 
 	if( !(rtiff = readtiff_new( filename, out, page )) )
 		return( -1 );
@@ -1583,10 +1590,7 @@ vips__istifftiled( const char *filename )
 	TIFF *tif;
 	gboolean tiled;
 
-	/* Override the default TIFF error handler.
-	 */
-	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
-	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+	vips__tiff_init();
 
 	if( !(tif = TIFFOpen( filename, "rm" )) ) {
 		vips_error_clear();
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/tiffload.c b/libvips/foreign/tiffload.c
index 1c229646..267458c9 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/tiffload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/tiffload.c
@@ -123,6 +123,13 @@ vips_foreign_load_tiff_class_init( VipsForeignLoadTiffClass *class )
 	VipsForeignClass *foreign_class = (VipsForeignClass *) class;
 	VipsForeignLoadClass *load_class = (VipsForeignLoadClass *) class;
 
+	/* Other libraries may be using libtiff, we want to capture tiff
+	 * warning and error as soon as we can.
+	 *
+	 * This class init will be triggered during startup.
+	 */
+	vips__tiff_init();
+
 	gobject_class->set_property = vips_object_set_property;
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/vips2tiff.c b/libvips/foreign/vips2tiff.c
index 872f2dd7..93d89f6d 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/vips2tiff.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/vips2tiff.c
@@ -1474,7 +1474,6 @@ gather_pyramid( TiffWrite *tw )
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
-
 int 
 vips__tiff_write( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, 
 	VipsForeignTiffCompression compression, int Q, 
@@ -1493,10 +1492,7 @@ vips__tiff_write( VipsImage *in, const char *filename,
 	printf( "tiff2vips: libtiff version is \"%s\"\n", TIFFGetVersion() );
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
-	/* Override the default TIFF error handler.
-	 */
-	TIFFSetErrorHandler( vips__thandler_error );
-	TIFFSetWarningHandler( vips__thandler_warning );
+	vips__tiff_init();
 
 	/* Check input image.
 	 */
diff --git a/po/vips7.pot b/po/vips7.pot
index 74e442bc..46196cb3 100644
--- a/po/vips7.pot
+++ b/po/vips7.pot
@@ -10,10 +10,14 @@ msgstr ""
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/enter_bug.cgi?"
 "product=glib&keywords=I18N+L10N&component=general\n"
 <<<<<<< HEAD
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 "POT-Creation-Date: 2012-09-08 14:01+0100\n"
 =======
 "POT-Creation-Date: 2012-10-01 14:17+0100\n"
 >>>>>>> origin/master
+=======
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2012-11-14 09:36+0000\n"
+>>>>>>> origin/7.30
 "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
 "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
 "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
@@ -400,10 +404,14 @@ msgstr ""
 #: ../libvips/conversion/bandjoin.c:171 ../libvips/conversion/copy.c:321
 #: ../libvips/conversion/rot.c:359 ../libvips/conversion/replicate.c:196
 <<<<<<< HEAD
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:355 ../libvips/conversion/embed.c:523
 =======
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:357 ../libvips/conversion/embed.c:523
 >>>>>>> origin/master
+=======
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:359 ../libvips/conversion/embed.c:523
+>>>>>>> origin/7.30
 #: ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:100 ../libvips/conversion/recomb.c:203
 #: ../libvips/conversion/sequential.c:273 ../libvips/foreign/foreign.c:1413
 #: ../libvips/resample/resample.c:89
@@ -576,10 +584,14 @@ msgstr ""
 #: ../libvips/conversion/extract.c:198 ../libvips/conversion/extract.c:357
 #: ../libvips/conversion/copy.c:322 ../libvips/conversion/rot.c:360
 <<<<<<< HEAD
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 #: ../libvips/conversion/replicate.c:197 ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:356
 =======
 #: ../libvips/conversion/replicate.c:197 ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:358
 >>>>>>> origin/master
+=======
+#: ../libvips/conversion/replicate.c:197 ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:360
+>>>>>>> origin/7.30
 #: ../libvips/conversion/embed.c:524 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:101
 #: ../libvips/conversion/sequential.c:274
 msgid "Input image"
@@ -1116,6 +1128,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Top edge of sub in main"
 msgstr ""
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 <<<<<<< HEAD
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:351 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:96
 msgid "cache an image"
@@ -1166,53 +1179,60 @@ msgstr ""
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:699
 =======
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:353 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:96
+=======
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:355 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:96
+>>>>>>> origin/7.30
 msgid "cache an image"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:363 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:113
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:365 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:113
 #: ../libvips/conversion/sequential.c:286 ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:222
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:920
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:927
 msgid "Tile height"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:364 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:114
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:366 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:114
 #: ../libvips/conversion/sequential.c:287 ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:223
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:921
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:928
 msgid "Tile height in pixels"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:370
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:372
 msgid "Strategy"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:371
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:373
 msgid "Expected access pattern"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:540
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:542
 msgid "cache an image as a set of tiles"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:544 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:106
-#: ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:215 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:913
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:546 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:106
+#: ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:215 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:920
 msgid "Tile width"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:545 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:107
-#: ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:216 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:914
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:547 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:107
+#: ../libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c:216 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:921
 msgid "Tile width in pixels"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:551 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:120
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:553 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:120
 msgid "Max tiles"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:552 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:121
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:554 ../libvips/conversion/cache.c:121
 msgid "Maximum number of tiles to cache"
 msgstr ""
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 #: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:706
 >>>>>>> origin/master
+=======
+#: ../libvips/conversion/tilecache.c:709
+>>>>>>> origin/7.30
 msgid "cache an image as a set of lines"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -1589,48 +1609,48 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Write a bigtiff image"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:243
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:245
 #, c-format
 msgid "Directory \"%s_files\" exists"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:812
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:819
 msgid "overlap must be less than tile width and height"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:865
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:872
 msgid "save image to deep zoom format"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:875 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:906
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:882 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:913
 msgid "Base name"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:876 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:907
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:883 ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:914
 msgid "Base name to save to"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:882
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:889
 msgid "suffix"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:883
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:890
 msgid "Filename suffix for tiles"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:889
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:896
 msgid "Overlap"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:890
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:897
 msgid "Tile overlap in pixels"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:896
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:903
 msgid "Tile size"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:897
+#: ../libvips/foreign/dzsave.c:904
 msgid "Tile size in pixels"
 msgstr ""
 
diff --git a/tools/batch_crop.in b/tools/batch_crop.in
index 982b9e66..414b18b4 100644
--- a/tools/batch_crop.in
+++ b/tools/batch_crop.in
@@ -12,14 +12,9 @@
 VIPSHOME=${VIPSHOME-@prefix@}
 
 name=`basename $0`
-left=$1
-top=$2
-width=$3
-height=$4
-shift 4
 
 # check args
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
+if [ $# -lt 5 ]; then
 	echo "usage: $name left top width height image1 image2 ..."
 	echo 
 	echo "$name writes a new set of images called crop_image1, "
@@ -28,6 +23,12 @@ if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+left=$1
+top=$2
+width=$3
+height=$4
+shift 4
+
 # convert each argument
 for i in $*; do
 	dir=`dirname $i`
diff --git a/tools/batch_image_convert.in b/tools/batch_image_convert.in
index e4fff85a..b72865b1 100644
--- a/tools/batch_image_convert.in
+++ b/tools/batch_image_convert.in
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@
 VIPSHOME=${VIPSHOME-@prefix@}
 
 name=`basename $0`
-type=$1
-shift
 
 # check args
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
+if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
 	echo "usage: $name <new image type> image1 image2 ..."
 	echo 
 	echo "$name uses VIPS to convert a group of image files of"
@@ -27,6 +25,9 @@ if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+type=$1
+shift
+
 # convert each argument
 for i in $*; do
 	# drop the suffix on the filename
diff --git a/tools/batch_rubber_sheet.in b/tools/batch_rubber_sheet.in
index d36891f9..d12f1286 100644
--- a/tools/batch_rubber_sheet.in
+++ b/tools/batch_rubber_sheet.in
@@ -14,11 +14,9 @@ VIPSHOME=${VIPSHOME-@prefix@}
 
 # get name we were run as
 name=`basename $0`
-rec=$1
-shift
 
 # check args
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
+if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
 	echo "usage: $name matrix image1 image2 ..."
 	echo "writes rsc_image1, rsc_image2, ..."
 	echo
@@ -28,6 +26,9 @@ if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
         exit 1
 fi
 
+rec=$1
+shift
+
 # transform each argument
 for i in $*; do
 	echo "Transforming $i to rsc_$i ..."
diff --git a/tools/vips.c b/tools/vips.c
index 0176f63a..6f76749e 100644
--- a/tools/vips.c
+++ b/tools/vips.c
@@ -905,6 +905,20 @@ print_cppdefs( int argc, char **argv )
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
+static void action_list( VipsBuf *buf );
+
+static int
+print_help( int argc, char **argv ) 
+{
+	char txt[1024];
+	VipsBuf buf = VIPS_BUF_STATIC( txt );
+
+	action_list( &buf ); 
+	printf( "%s", vips_buf_all( &buf ) );
+
+	return( 0 );
+}
+
 /* All our built-in actions.
  */
 
@@ -930,11 +944,28 @@ static ActionEntry actions[] = {
 		&empty_options[0], print_cppdefs },
 	{ "links", N_( "generate links for vips/bin" ),
 		&empty_options[0], print_links },
+	{ "help", N_( "list possible actions" ),
+		&empty_options[0], print_help },
 };
 
+static void
+action_list( VipsBuf *buf )
+{
+	int i;
+
+	vips_buf_appends( buf, _( "possible actions:\n" ) );
+	for( i = 0; i < VIPS_NUMBER( actions ); i++ )
+		vips_buf_appendf( buf, "%7s - %s\n", 
+			actions[i].name, _( actions[i].description ) ); 
+	vips_buf_appendf( buf, "%7s - %s\n", 
+		"OP", _( "execute vips operation OP" ) );
+}
+
 static void
 parse_options( GOptionContext *context, int *argc, char **argv )
 {
+	char txt[1024];
+	VipsBuf buf = VIPS_BUF_STATIC( txt );
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	int i, j;
 
@@ -944,6 +975,9 @@ parse_options( GOptionContext *context, int *argc, char **argv )
 		printf( "%d) %s\n", i, argv[i] );
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
+	action_list( &buf ); 
+	g_option_context_set_summary( context, vips_buf_all( &buf ) );
+
 	if( !g_option_context_parse( context, argc, &argv, &error ) ) {
 		if( error ) {
 			fprintf( stderr, "%s\n", error->message );
@@ -1128,13 +1162,7 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( action && 
 		!handled ) {
-		printf( "%s", _( "possible actions:\n" ) );
-		for( i = 0; i < VIPS_NUMBER( actions ); i++ )
-			printf( "%10s - %s\n", 
-				actions[i].name, _( actions[i].description ) ); 
-		printf( "%10s - %s\n", 
-			"<operation>", _( "execute named vips operation" ) );
-
+		print_help( argc, argv );
 		error_exit( _( "unknown action \"%s\"" ), action );
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/vipsthumbnail.c b/tools/vipsthumbnail.c
index 17e0cc0b..a04d333c 100644
--- a/tools/vipsthumbnail.c
+++ b/tools/vipsthumbnail.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
  * 	- remove "--nodelete" option, have a --delete option instead, off by
  * 	  default
  * 	- much more gentle extra sharpening
+ * 13/11/12
+ * 	- allow absolute paths in -o (thanks fuho)
  */
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
@@ -306,25 +308,35 @@ thumbnail3( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out )
 static char *
 make_thumbnail_name( const char *filename )
 {
-	char *dir;
 	char *file;
 	char *p;
 	char buf[FILENAME_MAX];
 	char *result;
 
-	dir = g_path_get_dirname( filename );
 	file = g_path_get_basename( filename );
 
+	/* Remove the suffix from the file portion.
+	 */
 	if( (p = strrchr( file, '.' )) ) 
 		*p = '\0';
 
+	/* output_format can be an absolute path, in which case we discard the
+	 * path from the incoming file.
+	 */
 	im_snprintf( buf, FILENAME_MAX, output_format, file );
-	result = g_build_filename( dir, buf, NULL );
+	if( g_path_is_absolute( output_format ) ) 
+		result = g_strdup( buf );
+	else {
+		char *dir;
+
+		dir = g_path_get_dirname( filename );
+		result = g_build_filename( dir, buf, NULL );
+		g_free( dir );
+	}
 
 	if( verbose )
-		printf( "thumbnailing %s as %s\n", filename, buf );
+		printf( "thumbnailing %s as %s\n", filename, result );
 
-	g_free( dir );
 	g_free( file );
 
 	return( result );