diff --git a/MAC/APL/PAC/_VirtualBackend/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/APL/PAC/_VirtualBackend/src/Makefile.am
index 37e53dc63e5454e25b2837e460eff72d0e0a73e5..e30a50c3392d6f7388e56f2bc503c5847306a7dc 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/PAC/_VirtualBackend/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/APL/PAC/_VirtualBackend/src/Makefile.am
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ VirtualBackend_CPPFLAGS			= \
 	-fdiagnostics-show-location=once \
 	-DUSE_TCPPORT_INSTEADOF_PVSSPORT
 
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	VirtualBackend.conf \
 	CEPAppDefault.param
 	
diff --git a/MAC/APL/PIC/MIS/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/APL/PIC/MIS/src/Makefile.am
index 25bc968eded5e43e6f7df0c58a0d8a0f889ee07b..c99af2e1a031729a0cc4b9b60350f96496e2c57c 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/PIC/MIS/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/APL/PIC/MIS/src/Makefile.am
@@ -32,11 +32,9 @@ MACInformationServer_CPPFLAGS			=
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
 	MIS_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	MIS_Protocol.ph
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES) 
 	
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	MACInformationServer.conf
 	
 %.conf: %.conf.in
diff --git a/MAC/APL/PIC/_NodeManager/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/APL/PIC/_NodeManager/src/Makefile.am
index 29c4842d22dcc7ae99aac2816e09a356ddc27b06..b8a73133a14e35d253a9ba32693b914ff296d8da 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/PIC/_NodeManager/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/APL/PIC/_NodeManager/src/Makefile.am
@@ -47,11 +47,9 @@ NodeManager_CPPFLAGS			=
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
 	NM_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	NM_Protocol.ph
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	NodeManager.conf
 	
 %.conf: %.conf.in
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/LogSys/CLP/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/LogSys/CLP/src/Makefile.am
index b28a2bdbc917c84d5107d03a200e9aeb494d4fb7..3980e5bba30f98abcaeb0e6d04bb321c6df95253 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/LogSys/CLP/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/LogSys/CLP/src/Makefile.am
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ CodeLoggingProcessor_DEPENDENCIES	= libclp.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND) \
 CodeLoggingProcessor_CPPFLAGS			= -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"CLP\" \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+BUILT_SOURCES =
+
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	CodeLoggingProcessor.conf \
 	CodeLoggingProcessor.log_prop
 	
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/LogSys/KVLogSys/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/LogSys/KVLogSys/src/Makefile.am
index 0de3ab6e35bbb5365b683a848590f3acb3d2208e..cb9535f46fe518c93d691c0acb7a346759754757 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/LogSys/KVLogSys/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/LogSys/KVLogSys/src/Makefile.am
@@ -60,11 +60,9 @@ KeyValueLoggerMaster_CPPFLAGS			= -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"KVLM\"
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
 	KVL_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	KVL_Protocol.ph
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	KeyValueLoggerDaemon.conf \
 	KeyValueLoggerMaster.conf \
 	KeyValueLoggerDaemon.log_prop \
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/GCF_Task.cc b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/GCF_Task.cc
index 6c5cdd9493a32581f6d69e1ef750a82156c4a614..ce5c8950bd6b58a8879a6139549a42bc94d3c35f 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/GCF_Task.cc
+++ b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/GCF_Task.cc
@@ -71,16 +71,33 @@ void GCFTask::init(int argc, char** argv)
   _argc = argc;
   _argv = argv;
   
-  string appName(argv[0]);
-
+  string procName(argv[0]);
+  
   ifstream    logPropFile;
 
-  // Try to open the log_prop file
-  string logPropFileName = appName + ".log_prop";
+  // Construct the etc path for config files
+  string etcPath(procName);
+  // Find last '/'
+  string::size_type pos = etcPath.rfind('/');
+  if (pos == string::npos) pos = 0; // not found: so erase whole filename
+  else pos++;                       // found : increase pos to avoid erasing the '/' too
+  
+  if (pos == 0 || pos == 1) etcPath = "/etc/"; // no '/' or only one '/' (at the 0 position)
+  else 
+  {
+    etcPath.erase(pos);
+    etcPath += "../etc/"; // becomes e.g. /opt/lofar/bin/../etc/
+  }
+  
+  procName.erase(0, pos); // erase path
+  
+  // Try to open the log_prop file, if process has its own log_prop file then use it in 
+  // the INIT_LOGGER otherwise use the default mac.log_prop
+  string logPropFileName = etcPath + procName + ".log_prop";
   logPropFile.open(logPropFileName.c_str(), ifstream::in);
   if (!logPropFile) 
   {
-    logPropFileName = "./mac.log_prop";
+    logPropFileName = etcPath + "mac.log_prop";
   }
   else
   {
@@ -90,7 +107,8 @@ void GCFTask::init(int argc, char** argv)
   INIT_LOGGER(logPropFileName.c_str());   
 
   ParameterSet* pParamSet = ParameterSet::instance();
-  pParamSet->adoptFile(appName + ".conf");
+  pParamSet->setSearchPath(etcPath);
+  pParamSet->adoptFile(procName + ".conf");
 
   if (_doExit)
     exit(-1);
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/Makefile.am
index bc734a8a4641f5e948bb8396886504859257fe93..bd826b7822dd4c9bd4a3cd2e4cc1b86ccb28dbf5 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/Makefile.am
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ libgcftm_la_CPPFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/include \
 
 libgcftm_la_CXXFLAGS=-fmessage-length=0
 
-BUILT_SOURCES = \
-	SB_Protocol.ph \
-	mac.log_prop
+BUILT_SOURCES =  \
+	SB_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	SB_Protocol.ph \
-	mac.log_prop
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	
+sysconf_DATA = \
+	mac.log_prop
+
 %.log_prop: %.log_prop.in
 	cp $< $@
 
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/ServiceBroker/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/ServiceBroker/Makefile.am
index 736be1275db0c5ba22cd3e2def4bfe32ce344ad2..a16fa65d262d861682cb6e092547189d61d73229 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/TM/src/ServiceBroker/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/TM/src/ServiceBroker/Makefile.am
@@ -22,19 +22,16 @@ ServiceBroker_DEPENDENCIES	= libsb.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND) \
 ServiceBroker_CPPFLAGS= -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 ServiceBroker_CXXFLAGS=-fmessage-length=0
 
-BUILT_SOURCES = \
-	ServiceBroker.conf
+BUILT_SOURCES = 
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	ServiceBroker.conf
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	ServiceBroker.conf
 
 install-data-local:
-	echo "mac.gcf.sb.host=`hostname -s`" >> $(bindir)/ServiceBroker.conf
-	echo "mac.gcf.sb.range1.host=`hostname`" >> $(bindir)/ServiceBroker.conf
+	echo "mac.gcf.sb.host=`hostname -s`" >> $(sysconfdir)/ServiceBroker.conf
+	echo "mac.gcf.sb.range1.host=`hostname`" >> $(sysconfdir)/ServiceBroker.conf
 	
 %.conf: gcf-sb.conf.in
 	cp $< $@
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/TM/test/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/TM/test/Makefile.am
index 171b9cb8c980fbf413260e2d4f2685f15e13a3e9..1e046cb71e9805156251192e12963478d4e401be 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/TM/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/TM/test/Makefile.am
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
-check_PROGRAMS 		= echoapp ping
+bin_PROGRAMS 		= tmEcho tmPing
 
-TESTS			= #echoapp ping
+tmEcho_SOURCES 		= Echo.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
+tmEcho_LDADD		= ../src/libgcftm.la
+tmEcho_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libgcftm.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+tmEcho_CPPFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
-echoapp_SOURCES 		= Echo.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
-echoapp_LDADD		= ../src/libgcftm.la
-echoapp_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libgcftm.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-echoapp_CPPFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/include
-
-ping_SOURCES 		= Ping.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
-ping_LDADD		= ../src/libgcftm.la
-ping_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libgcftm.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-ping_CPPFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/include
+tmPing_SOURCES 		= Ping.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
+tmPing_LDADD		= ../src/libgcftm.la
+tmPing_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libgcftm.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+tmPing_CPPFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
 AUTOGEN = autogen
 SUFFIXES = .ph
@@ -18,23 +16,18 @@ SUFFIXES = .ph
 	$(AUTOGEN) --writable -L $(top_srcdir)/autogen $<
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
-	Echo_Protocol.ph \
-	echoapp.conf \
-	ping.conf \
-	ServiceBroker.conf
+	Echo_Protocol.ph
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
-	Echo_Protocol.ph \
-	echoapp.conf \
-	ping.conf \
-	ServiceBroker.conf
+	Echo_Protocol.ph
+
+sysconf_DATA=\
+	tmEcho.conf \
+	tmPing.conf
 	
 %.conf:	tm-test.conf.in
 	ln -sf $< $@
 
-ServiceBroker.conf:	$(bindir)/ServiceBroker.conf
-	cp $< $@
-	
 clean-local:
 	rm -f *.ph
 
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PA/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PA/src/Makefile.am
index c1dfbd7d114dfa3f07ec74014fe252cbbb5cbb30..472043c7cc91f144d9fc41279b9d286967a118c5 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PA/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PA/src/Makefile.am
@@ -34,7 +34,13 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"PA\"
 configfilesdir=$(bindir)
 configfiles_DATA= \
 	loadAPC \
-	preparePVSS-DB \
+	preparePVSS-DB
+
+BUILT_SOURCES = 
+
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	PropertyAgent.conf
 
 install-data-local:
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PI/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PI/src/Makefile.am
index 993e3fcf975a04edc64924e96db19bdf0f03b372..38e92f4c4d03f35e10284e6da96a5f1c8e4206f2 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PI/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PI/src/Makefile.am
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@ PropertyInterface_DEPENDENCIES	= libpi.la \
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"PI\"
 
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+BUILT_SOURCES = 
+
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	PropertyInterface.conf
 		
 %.conf: gcf-pi.conf.in
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PML/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PML/src/Makefile.am
index 160642d67ff7928fd75c4d0f9cb84157924b5a08..aebb37e50aa322420b4589e923d7546ae630a079 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PML/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/PML/src/Makefile.am
@@ -43,8 +43,11 @@ libpml_la_CPPFLAGS= -I$(top_srcdir)/include \
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"PML\"
 	
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+BUILT_SOURCES = 
+
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	gcf-pml.conf
 
 %.conf: %.conf.in
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/SAL/test/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/SAL/test/Makefile.am
index d87926d40f0d0f84ab442b479fb125510cb95388..c06691baf5863ff2893e19f5082cd16450f85059 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/_PAL/SAL/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/_PAL/SAL/test/Makefile.am
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 cppflags = -I$(top_srcdir)/SAL/src \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
-check_PROGRAMS 		= echoapp ping
+check_PROGRAMS 		= salEcho salPing
 
-TESTS			= #echoapp ping
+TESTS			= #salEcho salPing
 
-echoapp_SOURCES 			= Echo.cc Service.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
-echoapp_LDADD					= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-echoapp_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-echoapp_CPPFLAGS			= $(cppflags)
+salEcho_SOURCES 			= Echo.cc Service.cc Echo_Protocol.cc
+salEcho_LDADD					= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+salEcho_DEPENDENCIES	= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+salEcho_CPPFLAGS			= $(cppflags)
 
-ping_SOURCES 					= Ping.cc  Echo_Protocol.cc
-ping_LDADD						=  ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-ping_DEPENDENCIES			= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
-ping_CPPFLAGS= $(cppflags)
+salPing_SOURCES 					= Ping.cc  Echo_Protocol.cc
+salPing_LDADD						=  ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+salPing_DEPENDENCIES			= ../src/libsal.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
+salPing_CPPFLAGS= $(cppflags)
 
 AUTOGEN = autogen
 SUFFIXES = .ph
@@ -21,22 +21,17 @@ SUFFIXES = .ph
 	$(AUTOGEN) --writable -L $(datadir)/GCF/TM $<
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
-	Echo_Protocol.ph \
-	echoapp.conf \
-	ping.conf \
-	ServiceBroker.conf
+	Echo_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	Echo_Protocol.ph \
-	echoapp.conf \
-	ping.conf
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
+	salEcho.conf \
+	salPing.conf
 
 %.conf: sal-test.conf.in
 	ln -sf $< $@
 
-ServiceBroker.conf:	$(bindir)/ServiceBroker.conf
-	cp $< $@
-
 clean-local:
 	rm -f *.ph
 
diff --git a/MAC/GCF/_PALlight/PMLlight/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/GCF/_PALlight/PMLlight/src/Makefile.am
index 9e2e276177cfe318178c24a0341b7cf2b6bd01c6..7891bac1491b0fa431c4d89ff1a33cbb49c8de86 100644
--- a/MAC/GCF/_PALlight/PMLlight/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/GCF/_PALlight/PMLlight/src/Makefile.am
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ libgcfpallight_la_DEPENDENCIES= libpmllight.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOFARLOGGER_SUBPACKAGE=\"RTC\"
 
+sysconf_DATA= \
+	gcf-pmllight.conf
+	
 configfilesdir=$(bindir)
 configfiles_DATA= \
-	gcf-pmllight.conf \
 	genTypeInfo
 
 %.conf: %.conf.in
diff --git a/MAC/Test/GCF/MAC/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/Test/GCF/MAC/src/Makefile.am
index 13d61057501eb29e7127cb7dd930b03b7bb73ac0..6278efd5e9da6fb65845fa4be1d5cff021092a9a 100644
--- a/MAC/Test/GCF/MAC/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/Test/GCF/MAC/src/Makefile.am
@@ -34,18 +34,19 @@ Application3_DEPENDENCIES		= libgcftest.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
 	TST_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	TST_Protocol.ph
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	
 AM_CXXFLAGS=-fmessage-length=0
 	
 #in case of make install these files will be copied to the bindir beside the test apps
 configfilesdir=$(bindir)
 configfiles_DATA= \
+	customPrepPVSSDB.ctl
+
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	Application1.conf \
 	Application2.conf \
-	Application3.conf \
-	customPrepPVSSDB.ctl
+	Application3.conf
 
 %.conf: gcf-test.conf.in
 	cp $< $@
diff --git a/MAC/Test/GCF/RTC/src/Makefile.am b/MAC/Test/GCF/RTC/src/Makefile.am
index a3d313e351626d1b5c2b04c35f844051e7086dd2..4cdcbfcc40fed6093819ebf0ee0e27dde05957f4 100644
--- a/MAC/Test/GCF/RTC/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/MAC/Test/GCF/RTC/src/Makefile.am
@@ -26,14 +26,12 @@ RTPing_DEPENDENCIES					= librtc.la $(LOFAR_DEPEND)
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
 	Echo_Protocol.ph
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	Echo_Protocol.ph
+EXTRA_DIST = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	
 AM_CXXFLAGS=-fmessage-length=0
 	
 #in case of make install these files will be copied to the bindir beside the test apps
-configfilesdir=$(bindir)
-configfiles_DATA= \
+sysconf_DATA= \
 	RTEcho.conf \
 	RTPing.conf