diff --git a/src/gitolite.pm b/src/gitolite.pm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c325e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gitolite.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# this file is commonly used using "require".  It is not required to use "use"
+# (because it doesn't live in a different package)
+
+# warning: preceding para requires 4th attribute of a programmer after
+# laziness, impatience, and hubris: sense of humour :-)
+
+# WARNING
+# -------
+# the name of this file will change as soon as its function/feature set
+# stabilises enough ;-)
+
+# right now all it does is define a function that tells you where to find the
+# rc file
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#       where is the rc file hiding?
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+sub where_is_rc
+{
+    # till now, the rc file was in one fixed place: .gitolite.rc in $HOME of
+    # the user hosting the gitolite repos.  This was fine, because gitolite is
+    # all about empowering non-root users :-)
+
+    # then we wanted to make a debian package out of it (thank you, Rhonda!)
+    # which means (a) it's going to be installed by root anyway and (b) any
+    # config files have to be in /etc/<something>
+
+    # the only way to resolve this in a backward compat way is to look for the
+    # $HOME one, and if you don't find it look for the /etc one
+
+    # this common routine does that, setting an env var for the first one it
+    # finds
+
+    return if $ENV{GL_RC};
+
+    for my $glrc ( $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc", "/etc/gitolite/gitolite.rc" ) {
+        if (-f $glrc) {
+            $ENV{GL_RC} = $glrc;
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+1;
diff --git a/src/gl-auth-command b/src/gl-auth-command
index 8201403..62e5add 100755
--- a/src/gl-auth-command
+++ b/src/gl-auth-command
@@ -27,8 +27,15 @@ use warnings;
 our ($GL_LOGT, $GL_CONF_COMPILED, $REPO_BASE, $GIT_PATH);
 our %repos;
 
-my $glrc = $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc";
-die "parse $glrc failed: "             . ($! or $@) unless do $glrc;
+# the common setup module is in the same directory as this running program is
+my $bindir = $0;
+$bindir =~ s/\/[^\/]+$//;
+require "$bindir/gitolite.pm";
+
+# ask where the rc file is, get it, and "do" it
+&where_is_rc();
+die "parse $ENV{GL_RC} failed: "       . ($! or $@) unless do $ENV{GL_RC};
+# then "do" the compiled config file, whose name we now know
 die "parse $GL_CONF_COMPILED failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $GL_CONF_COMPILED;
 
 # add a custom path for git binaries, if specified
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index d99976e..5f8b3ae 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -54,8 +54,14 @@ our ($GL_ADMINDIR, $GL_CONF, $GL_KEYDIR, $GL_CONF_COMPILED, $REPO_BASE, $REPO_UM
 # typical push generates
 my $ATTN = "\n\t\t***** ERROR *****\n       ";
 
-my $glrc = $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc";
-die "$ATTN parse $glrc failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $glrc;
+# the common setup module is in the same directory as this running program is
+my $bindir = $0;
+$bindir =~ s/\/[^\/]+$//;
+require "$bindir/gitolite.pm";
+
+# ask where the rc file is, get it, and "do" it
+&where_is_rc();
+die "parse $ENV{GL_RC} failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $ENV{GL_RC};
 
 # add a custom path for git binaries, if specified
 $ENV{PATH} .= ":$GIT_PATH" if $GIT_PATH;
diff --git a/src/install.pl b/src/install.pl
index f6e4142..1eb4a70 100755
--- a/src/install.pl
+++ b/src/install.pl
@@ -18,20 +18,24 @@ sub wrap_mkdir
     print STDERR "created $dir\n";
 }
 
-# the only path that is *fixed* (can't be changed without changing all 3
-# programs) is ~/.gitolite.rc
+# the common setup module is in the same directory as this running program is
+my $bindir = $0;
+$bindir =~ s/\/[^\/]+$//;
+require "$bindir/gitolite.pm";
 
-my $glrc = $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc";
-unless (-f $glrc) {
+# ask where the rc file is, get it, and "do" it
+&where_is_rc();
+unless ($ENV{GL_RC}) {
     # doesn't exist.  Copy it across, tell user to edit it and come back
+    my $glrc = $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc";
     system("cp conf/example.gitolite.rc $glrc");
     print STDERR "created $glrc\n";
     print STDERR "please edit it, change the paths if you wish to, and RERUN THIS SCRIPT\n";
     exit;
 }
 
-# ok now $glrc exists; read it to get the other paths
-die "parse $glrc failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $glrc;
+# ok now the rc file exists; read it to get the other paths
+die "parse $ENV{GL_RC} failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $ENV{GL_RC};
 
 # add a custom path for git binaries, if specified
 $ENV{PATH} .= ":$GIT_PATH" if $GIT_PATH;
diff --git a/src/update-hook.pl b/src/update-hook.pl
index 5f1c3bb..cdf7402 100755
--- a/src/update-hook.pl
+++ b/src/update-hook.pl
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ use warnings;
 our ($GL_CONF_COMPILED, $PERSONAL);
 our %repos;
 
-my $glrc = $ENV{HOME} . "/.gitolite.rc";
-die "parse $glrc failed: "             . ($! or $@) unless do $glrc;
+# we should already have the GL_RC env var set when we enter this hook
+die "parse $ENV{GL_RC} failed: "       . ($! or $@) unless do $ENV{GL_RC};
+# then "do" the compiled config file, whose name we now know
 die "parse $GL_CONF_COMPILED failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $GL_CONF_COMPILED;
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------