l9.vim plugin causing Invalid Expression errors

My first attempt at compiling vim on linux (redhat), so bear with me.

I've been happily using MacVim for a year now, but recently i've been needing to edit more files over ssh on a linux server. I've been getting fed up with the vim installed on these servers, so i'm trying to compile vim 7.3 from source and get my plugins running. I compile and install fine, but I think I'm missing a library or some other fundamental thing, because when I try to run vim I get:

Error detected while processing function l9#guardScriptLoading:
line    7:
E15: Invalid expression: 
E15: Invalid expression: a:l9Version > 0 && (a:l9Version > s:L9_VERSION_CURRENT ||
E15: Invalid expression: 
E15: Invalid expression: a:l9Version > 0 && (a:l9Version > s:L9_VERSION_CURRENT ||
line    8:
E10: \ should be followed by /, ? or &

and I have no idea what this means. I have the l9 plugin installed, both the autoload library and the plugin files. This is one of those plugins that's hard to go without though.

here's what my vim compile looks like:

VIM - Vi IMproved 7.3 (2010 Aug 15, compiled May  3 2011 13:00:04)
Compiled by me
Huge version with GTK2 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+arabic +autocmd +balloon_eval +browse ++builtin_terms +byte_offset +cindent 
+clientserver +clipboard +cmdline_compl +cmdline_hist +cmdline_info +comments 
+conceal +cryptv +cscope +cursorbind +cursorshape +dialog_con_gui +diff 
+digraphs +dnd -ebcdic +emacs_tags +eval +ex_extra +extra_search +farsi 
+file_in_path +find_in_path +float +folding -footer +fork() +gettext 
-hangul_input +iconv +insert_expand +jumplist +keymap +lan开发者_如何转开发gmap +libcall 
+linebreak +lispindent +listcmds +localmap -lua +menu +mksession +modify_fname 
+mouse +mouseshape +mouse_dec +mouse_gpm -mouse_jsbterm +mouse_netterm 
-mouse_sysmouse +mouse_xterm +multi_byte +multi_lang -mzscheme +netbeans_intg 
-osfiletype +path_extra +perl +persistent_undo +postscript +printer +profile 
+python -python3 +quickfix +reltime +rightleft +ruby +scrollbind +signs 
+smartindent -sniff +startuptime +statusline -sun_workshop +syntax +tag_binary 
+tag_old_static -tag_any_white -tcl +terminfo +termresponse +textobjects +title
 +toolbar +user_commands +vertsplit +virtualedit +visual +visualextra +viminfo 
+vreplace +wildignore +wildmenu +windows +writebackup +X11 -xfontset +xim 
+xsmp_interact +xterm_clipboard -xterm_save

anybody know what I'm missing?

Looks like you have not unset compatible option. Do you have a line

set nocompatible

at a top of your vimrc (it must go before any other option)?