diff --git a/lib/damask/__init__.py b/lib/damask/__init__.py
index 75c7f6caa..7106919e5 100644
--- a/lib/damask/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/damask/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-from .environment import Environment  # only one class
-from .asciitable  import ASCIItable   # only one class
-from . import config                  # multiple classes
-from . import result                  # multiple subclasses
-from . import geometry                # multiple subclasses
+from .environment import Environment      # only one class
+from .asciitable  import ASCIItable       # only one class
+from .            import config           # multiple classes
+from .result      import Result           # one class with subclasses
+from .geometry    import Geometry         # one class with subclasses
+from .solver      import Solver           # one class with subclasses
diff --git a/lib/damask/environment.py b/lib/damask/environment.py
index ef7217069..058ef51d6 100644
--- a/lib/damask/environment.py
+++ b/lib/damask/environment.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import os,sys,string,re
 
 class Environment():
-  __slots__ = ['pathInfo',
+  __slots__ = [ \
+                'rootRelation',
+                'pathInfo',
               ]
 
   def __init__(self,rootRelation = '.'):
@@ -10,25 +12,31 @@ class Environment():
                      'fftw': '.',
                      'msc':  '/msc',
                     }
-    self.get_pathInfo(rootRelation)
+    self.rootRelation = rootRelation                    
+    self.get_pathInfo()
 
   def relPath(self,relative = '.'):
     return os.path.join(self.rootDir(),relative)
 
-  def rootDir(self,rootRelation = '.'):      #getting pathinfo
+  def rootDir(self):
     damask_root = os.getenv('DAMASK_ROOT')
-    if damask_root == '' or damask_root == None: damask_root = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]),rootRelation)
+    if damask_root == '' or damask_root == None:            # env not set
+      if sys.argv[0] == '':                                 # no caller path
+        cwd = os.getcwd()
+      else:
+        cwd = {False: os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]),
+                True:                 sys.argv[0]}[os.path.isdir(sys.argv[0])]
+      damask_root = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.realpath(cwd),self.rootRelation))
+
     return damask_root
 
-  def binDir(self,rootRelation = '.'):      #getting pathinfo
+  def binDir(self):
     damask_bin  = os.getenv('DAMASK_BIN')
     if damask_bin  == '' or damask_bin  == None: damask_bin = self.relPath('bin/')
     return damask_bin
     
-  def get_pathInfo(self,rootRelation = '.'):      #getting pathinfo
-    damask_root = self.rootDir(rootRelation)
-
-    try:                                                  # check for user-defined pathinfo
+  def get_pathInfo(self):
+    try:                                                    # check for user-defined pathinfo
       file = open(self.relPath('lib/pathinfo'))
       content = file.readlines()
       file.close()
diff --git a/lib/damask/solver/__init__.py b/lib/damask/solver/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb2dd557a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/damask/solver/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from .solver   import Solver     # only one class
+from .spectral import Spectral   # only one class
+from .marc     import Marc       # only one class
diff --git a/lib/damask/solver/marc.py b/lib/damask/solver/marc.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1dc5492e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/damask/solver/marc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+from .solver import Solver
+
+
+class Marc(Solver):
+
+#--------------------------
+  def __init__(self):
+#--------------------------
+    self.solver = 'Marc'
+    self.releases = { \
+              '2010.2':['linux64',''],
+              '2010':  ['linux64',''],
+              '2008r1':[''],
+              '2007r1':[''],
+              '2005r3':[''],
+             }
+
+
+#--------------------------
+  def version(self,rootRelation = ''):
+#--------------------------
+    import os,damask.environment
+
+    MSCpath = damask.environment.Environment(rootRelation).pathInfo['msc']
+    
+    for release,subdirs in sorted(self.releases.items(),reverse=True):
+      for subdir in subdirs:
+        libPath = '%s/mentat%s/shlib/%s'%(MSCpath,release,subdir)
+        if os.path.exists(libPath): return release
+        else: continue
+    
+    return ''
+      
+    
+#--------------------------
+  def libraryPath(self,rootRelation = ''):
+#--------------------------
+    import os,damask.environment
+
+    MSCpath = damask.environment.Environment(rootRelation).pathInfo['msc']
+    
+    for release,subdirs in sorted(self.releases.items(),reverse=True):
+      for subdir in subdirs:
+        libPath = '%s/mentat%s/shlib/%s'%(MSCpath,release,subdir)
+        if os.path.exists(libPath): return libPath
+        else: continue
+    
+    return ''
+  
+
+#--------------------------
+  def submit_job(self,
+#--------------------------
+                 rootRelation = '',
+                 run_marc_path='/msc/marc2010/tools/',
+                 subroutine_dir=None,
+                 subroutine_name='DAMASK_marc2010',
+                 compile=False,
+                 compiled_dir='../../../code/',
+                 modelname='one_element_model',
+                 jobname='job1',
+                 #IOdir='',
+                 host=[]
+                 ):
+    import os,damask.environment
+    import subprocess, shlex   
+    import shutil
+    
+    damaskEnv = damask.environment.Environment(rootRelation)
+    if subroutine_dir  is None: subroutine_dir  = damaskEnv.binDir()
+    if subroutine_name is None: subroutine_name = 'DAMASK_marc' + self.version(rootRelation)
+    if run_marc_path   is None: run_marc_path   = os.path.join(damaskEnv.pathInfo['msc'],self.version(rootRelation),'tools/')
+
+    # Define all options [see Marc Installation and Operation Guide, pp 23]
+    run_marc = os.path.jion(run_marc_path,'run_marc')
+    jid = ' -jid ' + modelname + '_' + jobname
+    compilation=' -u ' + subroutine_dir + subroutine_name + '.f90'+' -save y'
+    options=' -nprocd 1  -autorst 0 -ci n  -cr n  -dcoup 0 -b no -v no'
+    cmd=run_marc+jid+options
+          
+    if compile:
+      cmd += compilation
+      print 'job submission with compilation.'
+    else:
+      shutil.copy2(subroutine_dir+subroutine_name+'.f90','./'+subroutine_name+'.f90')
+      shutil.copy2(compiled_dir+subroutine_name+'.marc','./'+subroutine_name+'.marc')
+      prog = ' -prog ' + subroutine_name
+      cmd += prog
+      print 'Job submission without compilation, using %s'%prog
+    out = open('out.log','w')
+    print(cmd)
+    #print shlex.split(cmd)
+    self.p = subprocess.Popen(shlex.split(cmd),stdout=out,stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+    self.p.wait()
+    out.close()
+      
+#--------------------------
+  def exit_number_from_outFile(self,outFile=None):
+#--------------------------
+    import string
+    fid_out = open(outFile,'r')
+    for ln in fid_out:
+      if (string.find(ln,'tress iteration') is not -1):
+        print ln
+      elif (string.find(ln,'Exit number') is not -1):
+        substr = ln[string.find(ln,'Exit number'):len(ln)]
+        exitnumber = substr[12:16]
+        fid_out.close()
+        return int(exitnumber)
+    fid_out.close()            
+    return -1    
diff --git a/lib/damask/solver/solver.py b/lib/damask/solver/solver.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..840f614a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/damask/solver/solver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import damask.solver
+
+class Solver():
+  '''
+     General class for solver specific functionality.
+     Sub-classed by the individual solvers.
+  '''
+  
+  def __init__(self,solver=''):
+    solverClass = {
+                      'spectral': damask.solver.Spectral,
+                      'marc':     damask.solver.Marc,
+                    }
+    if solver.lower() in solverClass.keys():
+      self.__class__=solverClass[solver.lower()]
+      self.__init__()
+
diff --git a/lib/damask/solver/spectral.py b/lib/damask/solver/spectral.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de3213b12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/damask/solver/spectral.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from .solver import Solver
+
+class Spectral(Solver):
+
+  def __init__(self):
+    self.solver='Spectral'