diff --git a/config/acid.toml b/config/acid.toml
index 139e0326f..bdaa141d5 100644
--- a/config/acid.toml
+++ b/config/acid.toml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ path = "/usr/lib/run_acid.ion"
 data = """
 #!/usr/bin/env ion
 export RUST_BACKTRACE=full
-cd /home/user/acid
-cargo test
+export HOME=/home/root
+acid-runner
 shutdown
 """
diff --git a/config/auto-test.toml b/config/auto-test.toml
index e6f3032a5..7350c4786 100644
--- a/config/auto-test.toml
+++ b/config/auto-test.toml
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ path = "/usr/lib/run_tests.ion"
 data = """
 #!/usr/bin/env ion
 export RUST_BACKTRACE=full
-cd /home/user/acid
-cargo test
-bash /root/relibc-tests/run.sh
+export HOME=/home/root
+acid-runner
+bash /usr/share/relibc-tests/run.sh
 os-test-runner
 shutdown
 """
diff --git a/recipes/dev/crates-io-index/recipe.toml b/recipes/dev/crates-io-index/recipe.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d0b92f1e..000000000
--- a/recipes/dev/crates-io-index/recipe.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-[source]
-git = "https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index.git"
-shallow_clone = true
-
-[build]
-template = "custom"
-script = """
-dir="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/.cargo/registry/index/github.com-1ecc6299db9ec823"
-mkdir -pv "${dir}"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/.git" "${dir}"
-"""
diff --git a/recipes/dev/hello-world-examples/recipe.toml b/recipes/dev/hello-world-examples/recipe.toml
index ad2d9f702..6f10c10cd 100644
--- a/recipes/dev/hello-world-examples/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/dev/hello-world-examples/recipe.toml
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ shallow_clone = true
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}"/home/user/hello-world-examples
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/[#,a-z] "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}"/home/user/hello-world-examples
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}"/usr/share/hello-world-examples
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/[#,a-z] "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}"/usr/share/hello-world-examples
 """
diff --git a/recipes/emulators/flycast/recipe.toml b/recipes/emulators/flycast/recipe.toml
index 1d409b563..0b6fca6bc 100644
--- a/recipes/emulators/flycast/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/emulators/flycast/recipe.toml
@@ -31,8 +31,4 @@ COOKBOOK_CMAKE_FLAGS+=(
     -DWITH_SYSTEM_ZSTD=ON
 )
 cookbook_cmake
-
-# for some reason flycast require local dir already set up
-mkdir -p ${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/.local/share/flycast
-touch ${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/.local/share/flycast/.tmp
 """
diff --git a/recipes/other/cookbook/recipe.toml b/recipes/other/cookbook/recipe.toml
index 01b68d613..e2b723cb6 100644
--- a/recipes/other/cookbook/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/other/cookbook/recipe.toml
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ script = """
 DYNAMIC_INIT
 cookbook_cargo
 
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/cookbook"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/cookbook"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/cookbook"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/cookbook"
 """
 
 [package]
diff --git a/recipes/other/rustconf2025/recipe.toml b/recipes/other/rustconf2025/recipe.toml
index 7bd748111..dc604af05 100644
--- a/recipes/other/rustconf2025/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/other/rustconf2025/recipe.toml
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ git = "https://github.com/jackpot51/rustconf2025.git"
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -p "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user"
-cp -v "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/"*.pdf "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user"
+mkdir -p "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share"
+cp -v "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/"*.pdf "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share"
 """
diff --git a/recipes/tests/acid/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/acid/recipe.toml
index 54106685e..d20186fec 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/acid/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/acid/recipe.toml
@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
-# Due to necessary write permission for compilation the filesystem path of source code installation is an exception
-# where the package manager can't switch between system-wide and user paths
 [source]
 git = "https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/acid.git"
 shallow_clone = true
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/acid"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/acid"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/acid"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/acid"
 
 # Create runner script
 mkdir -p "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin"
 cat > "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin/acid-runner" <<EOF
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#!/usr/bin/ion
 set -e
-cd /home/user/acid
-cargo test
+mkdir -p ~/.cache/acid
+cargo test --manifest-path /usr/share/acid/Cargo.toml --target-dir ~/.cache/acid
 EOF
 
 chmod +x "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin/acid-runner"
diff --git a/recipes/tests/hello-redox/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/hello-redox/recipe.toml
index 2a526f917..0f67f5ba5 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/hello-redox/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/hello-redox/recipe.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-# Due to necessary write permission for compilation the filesystem path of source code installation is an exception
-# where the package manager can't switch between system-wide and user paths
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/hello-redox"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}"/files/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/hello-redox"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/hello-redox"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}"/files/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/hello-redox"
 """
diff --git a/recipes/tests/openposixtestsuite/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/openposixtestsuite/recipe.toml
index e4c3df4a6..ff95e3478 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/openposixtestsuite/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/openposixtestsuite/recipe.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# Due to necessary write permission for compilation the filesystem path of source code installation is an exception
-# where the package manager can't switch between system-wide and user paths
 [source]
 git = "https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/openposixtestsuite.git"
 branch = "redox"
@@ -7,8 +5,8 @@ branch = "redox"
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/openposixtestsuite"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/openposixtestsuite"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/openposixtestsuite"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/openposixtestsuite"
 """
 
 [package]
diff --git a/recipes/tests/redox-posix-tests/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/redox-posix-tests/recipe.toml
index 74f2e46f0..0a0918112 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/redox-posix-tests/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/redox-posix-tests/recipe.toml
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ git = "https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox-posix-tests.git"
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/redox-posix-tests"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/redox-posix-tests"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/redox-posix-tests"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/redox-posix-tests"
 """
 
 [package]
diff --git a/recipes/tests/relibc-tests-bins/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/relibc-tests-bins/recipe.toml
index fd9938c5e..16831465b 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/relibc-tests-bins/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/relibc-tests-bins/recipe.toml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ template = "custom"
 script = """
 rsync -av --delete "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/" ./
 
-make install-tests DESTDIR="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user" NATIVE_LIBC=1 IS_REDOX=1
+make install-tests DESTDIR="${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share" NATIVE_LIBC=1 IS_REDOX=1
 
 if [ -n "$TESTBIN" ]; then
-"${COOKBOOK_REDOXER}" write-exec sh -c "cd /home/user/relibc-tests; make run-once TESTBIN=bins_dynamic/$TESTBIN"
+"${COOKBOOK_REDOXER}" write-exec sh -c "cd /usr/share/relibc-tests; make run-once TESTBIN=bins_dynamic/$TESTBIN"
 fi
 
 # Create runner script
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ mkdir -p "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin"
 cat > "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin/relibc-tests-runner" <<EOF
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -e
-cd /home/user/relibc-tests
-make run IS_REDOX=1
+cd /usr/share/relibc-tests
+make run IS_REDOX=1 # FIXME use a user writable dir as build dir
 EOF
 
 chmod +x "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin/relibc-tests-runner"
diff --git a/recipes/tests/relibc-tests/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/relibc-tests/recipe.toml
index 99531ee1a..01e408c41 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/relibc-tests/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/relibc-tests/recipe.toml
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
-# Due to necessary write permission for compilation the filesystem path of source code installation is an exception
-# where the package manager can't switch between system-wide and user paths
 [source]
 same_as = "../../core/relibc"
 
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/relibc-tests"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/tests" "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/relibc-tests"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/relibc-tests"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/tests" "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/relibc-tests"
 """
 
 [package]
diff --git a/recipes/tests/wasi-testsuite/recipe.toml b/recipes/tests/wasi-testsuite/recipe.toml
index a4598290b..4fedb2aba 100644
--- a/recipes/tests/wasi-testsuite/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/tests/wasi-testsuite/recipe.toml
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ branch = "prod/testsuite-base"
 [build]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
-mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/wasi-testsuite"
-cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/home/user/wasi-testsuite"
+mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/wasi-testsuite"
+cp -rv "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}"/* "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/share/wasi-testsuite"
 """
 
 [package]