So you did manage to compile it after all?
What was the fix, reconfiguring scratchbox? Missing dependency?


Do you mean is there an alternate way to compile the N9 kernel?
Yes, there are lots of ways you can do it. Using scratchbox is one, using just the crosscompiler without chrooting is another, and using native compiler on the device itself is third.

However compiling on any crosscompile-method on any decent PC hardware should not take 5 hours! Less than 30 minutes is something you'd expect.
(except if you are compiling on cygwin env under windoze or something silly like that... then it might as well take a week or so )