If you got it to compile, you're at the same state as me today. I don't have any X10 gear at home, so I can't test further.
I have some notes in "Making Things Talk" as to the hardware hiccups you're likely to hit beyond the library. In summary, they amount to:
- Make sure your modem and devices are on the same AC circuit. X10 won't get past the circuit breaker
- Once you've uploaded working code, unplug the modems and reset the Arduino. The modems are sensitive to timing disruptions. I found I can seldom get code to run without re-plugging while I'm developing, but once I have stable code, I can reset everything and it'll run reasonably well, as long as they're all on the same circuit
- Check your house codes, etc. to make sure you're sending to the right device and right group
- Make sure your code sends infrequently. Sending every time through the main loop will make a horrible mess, as the modem's only sending 120 bits a second, on the zero crossing, or 100 bits a second in Europe
Honestly, leaving X10 behind is probably not a bad idea. As I said, I have always found X10 to be troublesome. I wanted to delete it from the last version of "Making Things Talk" but there had been enough to keep it that I did, and updated the library. I've never intended that library to be a final version, and many others have made their own. Check out John Giametti or Doug Clinton's work for more, sorry I don't have their latest links but they are google-able.
If you want a more flexible home automation system, look into more modern alternatives like WeMo, Power line interfaces (I saw some from NetGear in the BestBuy store earlier today), or build your own with XBees and PowerSwitchTails, or your own relays.