diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/core.rb d/app/server/ruby/core.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/core.rb	2020-02-25 01:23:45.000000000 +0100
+++ d/app/server/ruby/core.rb	2020-03-08 21:29:51.417948839 +0100
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
   module Core
     module SPRand
       # Read in same random numbers as server for random stream sync
-      @@random_numbers = ::WaveFile::Reader.new(File.expand_path("../../../../etc/buffers/rand-stream.wav", __FILE__), ::WaveFile::Format.new(:mono, :float, 44100)).read(441000).samples.freeze
+      @@random_numbers = ::WaveFile::Reader.new(File.expand_path("/usr/share/sonic-pi/buffers/rand-stream.wav", __FILE__), ::WaveFile::Format.new(:mono, :float, 44100)).read(441000).samples.freeze
 
       def self.tl_seed_map(seed, idx=0)
         {:sonic_pi_spider_random_gen_seed => seed,
diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb d/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb	2020-02-25 01:23:45.000000000 +0100
+++ d/app/server/ruby/lib/sonicpi/util.rb	2020-03-08 21:39:53.485189513 +0100
@@ -252,11 +252,11 @@
     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
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@
     end
 
     def doc_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{etc_path}/doc")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/share/doc/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def cheatsheets_path
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@
     end
 
     def tmp_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{root_path}/tmp")
+      File.absolute_path("/tmp")
     end
 
     def synthdef_path
@@ -292,19 +292,20 @@
     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
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@
     end
 
     def server_bin_path
-      File.absolute_path("#{server_path}/ruby/bin")
+      File.absolute_path("#{server_path}/bin")
     end
 
     def native_path
@@ -373,7 +374,7 @@
     end
 
     def erlang_server_path
-      File.join(server_path, "erlang")
+      File.absolute_path("/usr/lib/sonic-pi")
     end
 
     def user_settings_path
diff -ruN a/app/server/ruby/util.rb d/app/server/ruby/util.rb
--- a/app/server/ruby/util.rb	2020-02-25 01:23:45.000000000 +0100
+++ d/app/server/ruby/util.rb	2020-03-08 21:43:42.229538721 +0100
@@ -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)