--- source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
+++ source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "game.h"
 #include "main_menu.h"
@@ -129,6 +130,17 @@
 	ExceptionHandler exceptionHandler;
 	exceptionHandler.install();
 
+	if (!getenv("HOME"))
+		throw runtime_error("HOME not set!");
+
+	char str[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(str, PATH_MAX, "%s/.glest", getenv("HOME"));
+	mkdir(str, 0750);
+	chdir(str);
+	mkdir("screens", 0750);
+
+	chdir("GENTOO_DATADIR");
+
 	try{
 		Config &config = Config::getInstance();
 
--- source/glest_game/main/program.cpp
+++ source/glest_game/main/program.cpp
@@ -65,8 +65,11 @@
 	updateCameraTimer.init(config.getInt("CameraFps"), maxTimes);
 
     //log start
+	char str[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(str, PATH_MAX, "%s/.glest/glest.log", getenv("HOME"));
+
 	Logger &logger= Logger::getInstance();
-	logger.setFile("glest.log");
+	logger.setFile(str);
 	logger.clear();
     
 	srand(time(NULL));
@@ -134,9 +137,10 @@
 	//save screen 
 	if(key=='T'){
 		for(int i=0; i<100; ++i){
-			string path= "screens/screen" + intToStr(i) + ".tga";
+			char path[PATH_MAX];
+			snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/.glest/screens/screen%d.tga", getenv("HOME"), i);
 			
-			FILE *f= fopen(path.c_str(), "rb");
+			FILE *f= fopen(path, "rb");
 			if(f==NULL){
 				Renderer::getInstance().saveScreen(path);
 				break;

--- source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
+++ source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
@@ -33,9 +33,13 @@
 
 	this->path= path;
 
-	fileStream.open(path.c_str(), ios_base::in);
+	char str[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(str, PATH_MAX, "%s/.glest/%s", getenv("HOME"), path.c_str());
+	fileStream.open(str, ios_base::in);
 	if(fileStream.fail()){
-		throw runtime_error("Can't open properties file: " + path);
+		fileStream.open(path.c_str(), ios_base::in); // use defaults
+		if(fileStream.fail())
+			throw runtime_error("Can't open properties file: " + path);
 	}
 
 	properties.clear();
@@ -70,7 +74,9 @@
 void Properties::save(const string &path){
 	ofstream fileStream;
 
-	fileStream.open(path.c_str(), ios_base::out | ios_base::trunc);
+	char str[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(str, PATH_MAX, "%s/.glest/%s", getenv("HOME"), path.c_str());
+	fileStream.open(str, ios_base::out | ios_base::trunc);
 
 	fileStream << "; === Properties File === \n";	
 	fileStream << '\n';