For Ubuntu-based distributions (such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint), pre-built packages are available on a PPA. There is a lot of documentation online about how to activate a PPA, but usually the following is enough:
This method should work starting from Ubuntu 11.10 (oneiric).
Note: after a new release of Ubuntu it may take a few days before the packages are available on the PPA.
Other Debian-based distributions can probably also use the same packages, but the installation is less practical.
If you want, you can download the source code of Eliot.