diff -Naur b/ChangeLog a/ChangeLog
--- b/ChangeLog	2009-03-18 09:55:35.725405537 +0100
+++ a/ChangeLog	2009-03-18 09:53:45.928750429 +0100
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2008-10-10  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
+
+	* sparse-util.h (SparseCholPrint): Change char * argument to const
+	char *.
+	* sparse-util.cc (SparseCholPrint): Likewise.
+
 2008-09-24  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
 
 	Version 3.0.3 released.
diff -Naur b/liboctave/sparse-util.cc a/liboctave/sparse-util.cc
--- b/liboctave/sparse-util.cc	2009-03-18 09:55:56.752069815 +0100
+++ a/liboctave/sparse-util.cc	2009-03-18 09:53:45.928750429 +0100
@@ -30,9 +30,16 @@
 #include "lo-error.h"
 #include "sparse-util.h"
 
+// FIXME this overload is here due to API change in SuiteSparse (3.1 -> 3.2)
 void
 SparseCholError (int status, char *file, int line, char *message)
 {
+  SparseCholError (status, file, line, message);
+}
+
+void
+SparseCholError (int status, const char *file, int line, const char *message)
+{
   (*current_liboctave_warning_handler)("warning %i, at line %i in file %s",
 				     status, line, file);
 
diff -Naur b/liboctave/sparse-util.h a/liboctave/sparse-util.h
--- b/liboctave/sparse-util.h	2009-03-18 09:55:56.752069815 +0100
+++ a/liboctave/sparse-util.h	2009-03-18 09:53:45.928750429 +0100
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@
 #if !defined (octave_sparse_util_h)
 #define octave_sparse_util_h 1
 
-extern OCTAVE_API void SparseCholError (int status, char *file, int line, char *message);
+// FIXME this overload is here due to API change in SuiteSparse (3.1 -> 3.2)
+extern OCTAVE_API void SparseCholError (int status, char *file, 
+                                        int line, char *message);
+extern OCTAVE_API void SparseCholError (int status, const char *file, 
+                                        int line, const char *message);
 extern OCTAVE_API int SparseCholPrint (const char *fmt, ...);
 
 #endif