diff -ur golly-2.1-src.old/makefile-gtk golly-2.1-src/makefile-gtk
--- golly-2.1-src.old/makefile-gtk	2010-09-29 06:16:38.000000000 +0000
+++ golly-2.1-src/makefile-gtk	2010-09-29 13:24:08.000000000 +0000
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 BINFILES = golly bgolly RuleTableToTree
 
 CXXC = g++
-CXXFLAGS = `wx-config --cxxflags` -O5 -DZLIB -DVERSION=$(VERSION) \
+CXXFLAGS = `wx-config --cxxflags` -O5 -DZLIB -DVERSION=$(VERSION) -DSHAREDIR='"/usr/share/golly"'\
    -Wall -Wno-non-virtual-dtor -fno-strict-aliasing
 LDFLAGS = `wx-config --libs` -lz
 
diff -ur golly-2.1-src.old/wxgolly.cpp golly-2.1-src/wxgolly.cpp
--- golly-2.1-src.old/wxgolly.cpp	2010-09-29 06:16:38.000000000 +0000
+++ golly-2.1-src/wxgolly.cpp	2010-09-29 13:25:24.000000000 +0000
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
    SetAppDirectory( wxString(argv[0]).mb_str(wxConvLocal) );
 
    // now set global gollydir for use in GetPrefs and elsewhere
-   gollydir = wxFileName::GetCwd();
+   gollydir = wxString(SHAREDIR,wxConvLocal);
    if (gollydir.Last() != wxFILE_SEP_PATH) gollydir += wxFILE_SEP_PATH;
    
    // let non-wx modules call Fatal, Warning, BeginProgress, etc
diff -ur golly-2.1-src.old/wxprefs.cpp golly-2.1-src/wxprefs.cpp
--- golly-2.1-src.old/wxprefs.cpp	2010-09-29 06:16:38.000000000 +0000
+++ golly-2.1-src/wxprefs.cpp	2010-09-29 13:20:08.000000000 +0000
@@ -1741,7 +1741,8 @@
    downloaddir = datadir + wxT("Downloads");
    downloaddir += wxFILE_SEP_PATH;
    
-   opensavedir = gollydir + PATT_DIR;
+   opensavedir = datadir;
+
    rundir = gollydir + SCRIPT_DIR;
    icondir = gollydir;
    choosedir = gollydir;