diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ea92bb425..d195179bb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 *.exe
 *.bak
 *~
+bin
 PRIVATE
diff --git a/CONFIG b/CONFIG
index 17561c9cd..ee7e4fae2 100644
--- a/CONFIG
+++ b/CONFIG
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 # "set"-syntax needed only for tcsh (but works with bash and zsh)
+# DAMASK_ROOT will be expanded
+set DAMASK_BIN=${DAMASK_ROOT}/bin
+
+set DAMASK_NUM_THREADS = 4
 
 set MSC_ROOT=/opt/MSC
 set MARC_VERSION=2015
 
-set DAMASK_NUM_THREADS = 4
-
-set ABAQUS_VERSION=6.14-5
-set DAMASK_BIN=${DAMASK_ROOT}/lib
+set ABAQUS_VERSION=5.14-5
diff --git a/installation/symlink_Code.py b/installation/symlink_Code.py
index f0fea41e3..5d4518ddd 100755
--- a/installation/symlink_Code.py
+++ b/installation/symlink_Code.py
@@ -13,16 +13,9 @@ bin_link = { \
 
 MarcReleases =[2011,2012,2013,2013.1,2014,2014.2,2015]
 
-baseDir = damask.Environment('../../').relPath('code/')
-
-try:
-  binDir = damask.Environment().options['DAMASK_BIN']
-except:
-  root=os.access('/usr/local/bin', os.W_OK)
-  if root:
-    binDir = '/usr/local/bin'
-  else:
-    binDir = os.path.join(os.getenv('HOME'),'bin')
+damaskEnv = damask.Environment()
+baseDir = damaskEnv.relPath('code/')
+binDir  = damaskEnv.options['DAMASK_BIN']
 
 if not os.path.isdir(binDir):
   os.mkdir(binDir)
@@ -43,7 +36,11 @@ for version in MarcReleases:
   src = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(baseDir,'DAMASK_marc.f90'))
   if os.path.exists(src): 
     sym_link = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(baseDir,'DAMASK_marc'+str(version)+'.f90'))                    
-    if os.path.lexists(sym_link): os.remove(sym_link)
-    os.symlink(os.path.relpath(src,baseDir),sym_link)
-    sys.stdout.write(sym_link+' -> '+src+'\n')
+    if os.path.lexists(sym_link):
+      os.remove(sym_link)
+      sys.stdout.write(sym_link)
+    else:
+      sys.stdout.write(damask.util.bcolors.BOLD + sym_link + damask.util.bcolors.ENDC)
 
+    os.symlink(src,sym_link)
+    sys.stdout.write(' -> '+src+'\n')
diff --git a/installation/symlink_Processing.py b/installation/symlink_Processing.py
index 0ca4f8ba4..3f00e95c6 100755
--- a/installation/symlink_Processing.py
+++ b/installation/symlink_Processing.py
@@ -3,18 +3,11 @@
 
 # Makes postprocessing routines acessible from everywhere.
 import os,sys
-from damask import Environment
+import damask
 
-BOLD = '\033[1m'
-ENDC = '\033[0m'
-
-damaskEnv = Environment()
+damaskEnv = damask.Environment()
 baseDir = damaskEnv.relPath('processing/')
-codeDir = damaskEnv.relPath('code/')
-try:
-  binDir = damaskEnv.options['DAMASK_BIN']
-except:
-  binDir = '/usr/local/bin' if os.access('/usr/local/bin', os.W_OK) else os.path.join(os.getenv('HOME'),'bin')
+binDir = damaskEnv.options['DAMASK_BIN']
 
 if not os.path.isdir(binDir):
   os.mkdir(binDir)
@@ -36,7 +29,7 @@ for subDir in processing_subDirs:
         os.remove(sym_link)
         sys.stdout.write(sym_link)
       else:
-        sys.stdout.write(BOLD + sym_link + ENDC)
+        sys.stdout.write(damask.util.bcolors.BOLD + sym_link + damask.util.bcolors.ENDC)
 
       os.symlink(src,sym_link)
       sys.stdout.write(' -> '+src+'\n')
diff --git a/lib/damask/environment.py b/lib/damask/environment.py
index b0256e05d..4d24c6c6e 100644
--- a/lib/damask/environment.py
+++ b/lib/damask/environment.py
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ import os,subprocess,shlex,re
 
 class Environment():
   __slots__ = [ \
-                'rootRelation',
                 'options',
               ]
 
-  def __init__(self,rootRelation = '.'):
-    self.rootRelation = rootRelation
+  def __init__(self):
     self.options = {}
     self.get_options()
 
@@ -23,11 +21,12 @@ class Environment():
   def get_options(self):
     with open(self.relPath(self.rootDir()+'/CONFIG')) as configFile:
       for line in configFile:
-        l = re.sub('^set ', '', line).strip()
+        l = re.sub('^set ', '', line).strip()                                                       # remove "set" (tcsh) when setting variables
         if l and not l.startswith('#'):
           items = l.split('=')
-          if len(items) == 2:
-            self.options[items[0].upper()] = items[1]
+          if len(items) == 2: 
+            self.options[items[0].upper()] = \
+              re.sub('\$\{*DAMASK_ROOT\}*',self.rootDir(),os.path.expandvars(items[1]))             # expand all shell variables and DAMASK_ROOT
       
   def isAvailable(self,software,Nneeded =-1):
     licensesNeeded = {'abaqus'  :5,