diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/core.rb b/app/server/ruby/core.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/core.rb	2021-02-01 12:10:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/app/server/ruby/core.rb	2021-09-20 02:02:48.452962508 +0200
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
       # define this helper first so we can set the constants below
       def self.wav_from_buffer_file(filename)
         ::WaveFile::Reader.new(
-          File.expand_path("../../../../etc/buffers/#{filename}", __FILE__),
+          File.expand_path("/usr/share/sonic-pi/buffers/#{filename}", __FILE__),
           ::WaveFile::Format.new(:mono, :float, 44100)
         ).read(441000).samples.freeze
       end
diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb b/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb	2021-02-01 12:10:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb	2021-09-20 01:53:31.524788455 +0200
@@ -329,11 +329,11 @@
     end
 
     def root_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../../../../")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/share/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def etc_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{root_path}/etc")
+      File.absolute_path("#{root_path}")
     end
 
     def snippets_path
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@
     end
 
     def doc_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{etc_path}/doc")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/share/doc/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def cheatsheets_path
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
     end
 
     def tmp_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{root_path}/tmp")
+      File.absolute_path("/tmp")
     end
 
     def synthdef_path
@@ -369,19 +369,20 @@
     end
 
     def app_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{root_path}/app")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/lib/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def html_public_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{app_path}/gui/html/public")
+      File.absolute_path("#{doc_path}/gui/html/public")
     end
 
+    # this path is only relevant during build time
     def qt_gui_path
       File.absolute_path("#{app_path}/gui/qt")
     end
 
     def examples_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{etc_path}/examples")
+      File.absolute_path("#{doc_path}/examples")
     end
 
     def server_path
@@ -397,7 +398,7 @@
     end
 
     def server_bin_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{server_path}/ruby/bin")
+      File.absolute_path("#{server_path}/bin")
     end
 
     def native_path
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@
     end
 
     def sox_path
-      File.join(native_path, "sox", __exe_fix("sox"))
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/bin/sox")
     end
 
     def scsynth_log_path
@@ -450,7 +451,7 @@
     end
 
     def erlang_server_path
-      File.join(server_path, "erlang", "sonic_pi_server", "ebin")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/lib/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def user_audio_settings_path
diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/util.rb b/app/server/ruby/util.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/util.rb	2021-02-01 12:10:30.000000000 +0100
+++ b/app/server/ruby/util.rb	2021-09-20 01:53:31.524788455 +0200
@@ -12,15 +12,15 @@
 #++
 
 def sp_sonic_pi_path()
-  File.absolute_path("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../../")
+  File.absolute_path("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/..")
 end
 
 def sp_scripts_path()
-  File.absolute_path("#{sp_sonic_pi_path}/app/scripts")
+  File.absolute_path("#{sp_sonic_pi_path}/scripts")
 end
 
 def sp_synthdefs_path()
-  File.absolute_path("#{sp_sonic_pi_path}/app/etc/synthdefs/compiled")
+  File.absolute_path("#{sp_sonic_pi_path}/synthdefs/compiled")
 end
 
 def spider_log(message)