diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/ai/ai_interface.h megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/ai/ai_interface.h
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/ai/ai_interface.h	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/ai/ai_interface.h	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -95,7 +95,11 @@
 	bool isFreeCells(const Vec2i &pos, int size, Field field);
 
 private:
-	string getLogFilename() const	{return "ai"+intToStr(factionIndex)+".log";}
+	string getLogFilename() const	{
+	  string logfn=getenv("HOME");
+	  logfn+="/.megaglest/ai"+intToStr(factionIndex)+".log";
+	  return logfn;
+	}
 	bool executeCommandOverNetwork();
 };
 
diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -1408,6 +1408,17 @@
 }
 
 int glestMain(int argc, char** argv) {
+    if (!getenv("HOME"))
+    throw runtime_error("HOME external variable is not set");
+  
+    char path[PATH_MAX];
+    snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/.megaglest", getenv("HOME"));
+    mkdir(path, 0750);
+ 
+    snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/.megaglest/screens", getenv("HOME"));
+    mkdir(path, 0750);
+    
+    chdir("@GENTOO_DATADIR@");
 #ifdef SL_LEAK_DUMP
 	AllocRegistry memoryLeaks = AllocRegistry::getInstance();
 #endif
diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/main/program.cpp megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/main/program.cpp
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/glest_game/main/program.cpp	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/glest_game/main/program.cpp	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -488,7 +488,9 @@
 
     //log start
 	Logger &logger= Logger::getInstance();
-	string logFile = "glest.log";
+	string a=getenv("HOME");
+	string b= "/.megaglest/glest.log";
+	string logFile = a+b;
     if(getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_logs_CacheLookupKey) != "") {
         logFile = getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_logs_CacheLookupKey) + logFile;
     }
diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/leak_dumper.cpp megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/leak_dumper.cpp
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/leak_dumper.cpp	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/leak_dumper.cpp	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
 
 AllocRegistry::~AllocRegistry(){
 
-	dump("leak_dump.log");
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/.megaglest/leak_dump.log", getenv("HOME"));
+	dump(path);
 }
 
 void AllocRegistry::allocate(AllocInfo info){
diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/profiler.cpp megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/profiler.cpp
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/profiler.cpp	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/profiler.cpp	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -76,9 +76,11 @@
     if(getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_logs_CacheLookupKey) != "") {
         profileLog = getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_logs_CacheLookupKey) + profileLog;
     }
-	FILE *f= fopen(profileLog.c_str(), "w");
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/.magaglest/profiler.log", getenv("HOME"));
+	FILE *f= fopen(path, "w");
 	if(f==NULL)
-		throw runtime_error("Can not open file: " + profileLog);
+		throw runtime_error("Can not open file: %s",path);
 
 	fprintf(f, "Profiler Results\n\n");
 
diff -urN megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
--- megaglest-source-3.4.0.old/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp	2011-02-04 18:30:23.000000000 +0300
+++ megaglest-source-3.4.0/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp	2011-02-04 18:33:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <cstring>
-
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "conversion.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "leak_dumper.h"
@@ -38,10 +39,15 @@
 
     //SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugSystem,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] path = [%s]\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,path.c_str());
 
-	fileStream.open(path.c_str(), ios_base::in);
+	char str[PATH_MAX];
+	snprintf(str, PATH_MAX, "%s/.megaglest/%s", getenv("HOME"), path.c_str());
+	fileStream.open(str, ios_base::in);
 	if(fileStream.fail()){
-	    SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugSystem,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] path = [%s]\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,path.c_str());
-		throw runtime_error("Can't open propertyMap file: " + path);
+		fileStream.open(path.c_str(), ios_base::in); // use defaults
+		if(fileStream.fail()){
+			SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugSystem,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] path = [%s]\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,path.c_str());
+			throw runtime_error("Can't open propertyMap file: " + path + " cwd: "+ getenv("PWD"));
+		}
 	}
 
     //SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugSystem,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] path = [%s]\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,path.c_str());
@@ -78,7 +84,9 @@
 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/.megaglest/%s", getenv("HOME"), path.c_str());
+	fileStream.open(str, ios_base::out | ios_base::trunc);
 
 	fileStream << "; === propertyMap File === \n";
 	fileStream << '\n';