this version of the env script maybe works

damask_env.sh

@@ -1,11 +1,31 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# sets up an environment for DAMASK
+# usage:  source damask_env.sh
 
-# it would be nice to set the variables
-script_location = `dirname $0`
-echo I am here: $script_location
+# It would be nice to set the variables
+# depending on the location of the script
+# /!\ CAREFUL WITH HARDLINKS
+# but the ideas below don't work with sourcing this snippet.
+# scriptloc = `dirname $0`
+scriptloc=`dirname $(readlink -f $0)`
+#echo I am here: $scriptloc
+#export DAMASK_ROOT=$scriptloc
+#export DAMASK_BIN=$scriptloc/bin
 
-export DAMASK_ROOT=/nethome/$USER/DAMASK
-export DAMASK_BIN=/nethome/$USER/DAMASK/bin
+
+# Until the above works, we assume DAMASK
+# lives at the top of the user's home dir
+# strip the username from "MPIE\"
+me=`echo $USER |cut -d'\\' -f 2` 
+#echo user: $me
+#export DAMASK_ROOT=`echo /nethome/$me/DAMASK`
+#export DAMASK_BIN=`echo /nethome/$me/DAMASK/bin`
+export DAMASK_ROOT=~/DAMASK
+export DAMASK_BIN=~/DAMASK/bin
+
+echo DAMASK_ROOT = $DAMASK_ROOT
+echo DAMASK_BIN = $DAMASK_BIN
+# set more variables depending on the above ones
 export PATH=${PATH}:${DAMASK_BIN}
 export PYTHONPATH=${PYTHONPATH}:${DAMASK_ROOT}/lib
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${DAMASK_ROOT}/lib/fftw/lib:lib/acml4.4.0/ifort64_mp/lib:lib/acml4.4.0/ifort64/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}