Can powermame be updated with standard .diff files?

[Extreme8]

I'm a complete compiling newb. I've just learned to compile a standard MAME build and thought I'd have a shot at PowerMAME but I'm having some difficulty.

Can powermame be updated with standard .diff files?
Assuming it can I'll explain the issue I ran into and maybe someone will be able to let me know what I did wrong.

I applied the diff files (0105u1 - 0105u5) but wasn't able to compile afterwards. the u1 update gave me an error:
Hunk 2 failed at 86
Then a few lines later,
patching file src/windows/input.c
Reversed <ore previously applied> patch detected! assume -R [n]
Apply anyway? [n]

I accepted the default n at both of these prompts

the next 4 applied without any errors other than saying something about an offset of 2 lines.

When I began the compile I ran into this error:

src/powermame/speech.c: In function `load_control_names':
src/powermame/speech.c:222: error: structure has no member named `clone_of'
src/powermame/speech.c:223: error: structure has no member named `clone_of'
src/powermame/speech.c:224: error: structure has no member named `clone_of'
src/powermame/speech.c:226: error: structure has no member named `clone_of'
mingw32-make: *** [obj/PowerMAME/powermame/speech.o] Error 1


Any insight is appreciated.

[MikeQ]

No, it cannot be updated with .diff files.  You might get lucky with files that don't have conflicts but any file with conflicts will not work.

[Extreme8]

That's the answer I was looking for.

So PowerMAME will be limited to the major version changes and not worry about the updates.
I never concerned myself with the updates before, but since I decided I wanted to learn how to compile my own I thought that was a good place to start.

Thanks for all of your effort on this project.