diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 35dee02b..48cd1291 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 .dotest
 /.emacs-project
 config/database.yml
+config/site.yml
 config/deploy.rb
-config/environment.rb
 db/*.sqlite3
 db/data.yml
 db/schema.rb
diff --git a/app/controllers/application.rb b/app/controllers/application.rb
index 8a329f56..4c63b89f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class CannotAccessContext < RuntimeError; end
 
 class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
 
-  protect_from_forgery :secret => SALT
+  protect_from_forgery :secret => SITE_CONFIG['salt']
 
   helper :application
   include LoginSystem
diff --git a/app/controllers/contexts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/contexts_controller.rb
index 2412ba95..98ddc344 100644
--- a/app/controllers/contexts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/contexts_controller.rb
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class ContextsController < ApplicationController
       @active_contexts = @contexts.active
       @hidden_contexts = @contexts.hidden
       @down_count = @active_contexts.size + @hidden_contexts.size 
-      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
       render :action => 'index_mobile'
     end
   end
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class ContextsController < ApplicationController
       @page_title = "TRACKS::List actions in "+@context.name
       @not_done = @not_done_todos.select {|t| t.context_id == @context.id } 
       @down_count = @not_done.size 
-      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
       @mobile_from_context = @context.id
       render :action => 'mobile_show_context'
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/login_controller.rb b/app/controllers/login_controller.rb
index 91cfc261..360a8455 100644
--- a/app/controllers/login_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/login_controller.rb
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ class LoginController < ApplicationController
             session['noexpiry'] = params['user_noexpiry']
             msg = (should_expire_sessions?) ? "will expire after 1 hour of inactivity." : "will not expire." 
             notify :notice, "Login successful: session #{msg}"
-            cookies[:tracks_login] = { :value => @user.login, :expires => Time.now + 1.year, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE }
+            cookies[:tracks_login] = { :value => @user.login, :expires => Time.now + 1.year, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies'] }
             unless should_expire_sessions?
               @user.remember_me
-              cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => @user.remember_token , :expires => @user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE }
+              cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => @user.remember_token , :expires => @user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies'] }
             end
             redirect_back_or_home
             return
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ class LoginController < ApplicationController
           session['user_id'] = @user.id
           msg = (should_expire_sessions?) ? "will expire after 1 hour of inactivity." : "will not expire." 
           notify :notice, "Login successful: session #{msg}"
-          cookies[:tracks_login] = { :value => @user.login, :expires => Time.now + 1.year, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE }
+          cookies[:tracks_login] = { :value => @user.login, :expires => Time.now + 1.year, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies'] }
           unless should_expire_sessions?
             @user.remember_me
-            cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => @user.remember_token , :expires => @user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE }
+            cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => @user.remember_token , :expires => @user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies'] }
           end
           redirect_back_or_home
         else
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
index e701f4f4..4e739fe9 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class ProjectsController < ApplicationController
       @hidden_projects = @projects.hidden
       @completed_projects = @projects.completed
       @down_count = @active_projects.size + @hidden_projects.size + @completed_projects.size 
-      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
       render :action => 'index_mobile'
     end
   end
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class ProjectsController < ApplicationController
         @project_default_context = "The default context for this project is "+
           @project.default_context.name
       end
-      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+      cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
       @mobile_from_project = @project.id
       render :action => 'project_mobile'
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/todos_controller.rb b/app/controllers/todos_controller.rb
index 3cb30d20..57befc38 100644
--- a/app/controllers/todos_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/todos_controller.rb
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ class TodosController < ApplicationController
       format.m do
         if @saved
           if cookies[:mobile_url]
-            cookies[:mobile_url] = {:value => nil, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+            cookies[:mobile_url] = {:value => nil, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
             redirect_to cookies[:mobile_url]
           else
             redirect_to formatted_todos_path(:m)
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class TodosController < ApplicationController
         @default_project_context_name_map = build_default_project_context_name_map(@projects).to_json
       }
       format.m { 
-        cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+        cookies[:mobile_url]= {:value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
         render :action => "mobile_tag"         
       }
     end
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ class TodosController < ApplicationController
     lambda do
       @page_title = "All actions"
       @home = true
-      cookies[:mobile_url]= { :value => request.request_uri, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE}
+      cookies[:mobile_url]= { :value => request.request_uri, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies']}
       determine_down_count
     
       render :action => 'index'
diff --git a/config/environment.rb.tmpl b/config/environment.rb
similarity index 65%
rename from config/environment.rb.tmpl
rename to config/environment.rb
index 5b98cccc..7b564821 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb.tmpl
+++ b/config/environment.rb
@@ -7,18 +7,13 @@
 # Bootstrap the Rails environment, frameworks, and default configuration
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'boot')
 
-# This is the 'salt' to add to the password before it is encrypted
-# You need to change this to something unique for yourself
-SALT = "change-me"
+require 'yaml'
+SITE_CONFIG = YAML.load_file(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'site.yml'))
 
 class Rails::Configuration
   attr_accessor :action_web_service
 end
 
-# Leave this alone or set it to one or more of ['database', 'ldap', 'open_id'].
-# If you choose ldap, see the additional configuration options further down.
-AUTHENTICATION_SCHEMES = ['database']
-
 Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
   # Skip frameworks you're not going to use
   # config.frameworks -= [ :action_web_service, :action_mailer ]
@@ -29,23 +24,18 @@ Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
   config.gem "highline"
 
   config.action_controller.use_accept_header = true
-  
-  # Add additional load paths for your own custom dirs
-  # config.load_paths += %W( #{RAILS_ROOT}/app/services )
-
-  # Force all environments to use the same logger level 
-  # (by default production uses :info, the others :debug)
-  # config.log_level = :debug
 
   # Use the database for sessions instead of the file system
   # (create the session table with 'rake create_sessions_table')
   config.action_controller.session_store = :active_record_store
-  
+
   config.action_controller.session = {
     :session_key => '_tracks_session_id',
-    :secret      => SALT * (30.0 / SALT.length).ceil #must be at least 30 characters
+    :secret      =>  SITE_CONFIG['salt'] * (30.0 /  SITE_CONFIG['salt'].length).ceil #must be at least 30 characters
   }
-  
+
+  config.action_controller.relative_url_root = SITE_CONFIG['subdir'] if SITE_CONFIG['subdir']
+
   # Enable page/fragment caching by setting a file-based store
   # (remember to create the caching directory and make it readable to the application)
   # config.action_controller.fragment_cache_store = :file_store, "#{RAILS_ROOT}/cache"
@@ -55,11 +45,11 @@ Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
 
   # Make Active Record use UTC-base instead of local time
   config.active_record.default_timezone = :utc
-  
+
   # You''ll probably want to change this to the time zone of the computer where Tracks is running
   # run rake time:zones:local have Rails suggest time zone names on your system
-  config.time_zone = 'UTC'
-  
+  config.time_zone =  SITE_CONFIG['time_zone']
+
   # Use Active Record's schema dumper instead of SQL when creating the test database
   # (enables use of different database adapters for development and test environments)
   config.active_record.schema_format = :ruby
@@ -67,7 +57,7 @@ Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
   # See Rails::Configuration for more options
 end
 
-# Add new inflection rules using the following format 
+# Add new inflection rules using the following format
 # (all these examples are active by default):
 # Inflector.inflections do |inflect|
 #   inflect.plural /^(ox)$/i, '\1en'
@@ -86,26 +76,17 @@ require 'tagging_extensions' # Needed for tagging-specific extensions
 require 'digest/sha1' #Needed to support 'rake db:fixtures:load' on some ruby installs: http://dev.rousette.org.uk/ticket/557
 require 'prototype_helper_extensions'
 
-if (AUTHENTICATION_SCHEMES.include? 'ldap')
+if ( SITE_CONFIG['authentication_schemes'].include? 'ldap')
   require 'net/ldap' #requires ruby-net-ldap gem be installed
   require 'simple_ldap_authenticator'
-  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.ldap_library = 'net/ldap'
-  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.servers = %w'localhost'
-  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.use_ssl = false
-  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.login_format = 'cn=%s,dc=example,dc=com'
+  ldap =  SITE_CONFIG['ldap']
+  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.ldap_library = ldap['library']
+  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.servers = ldap['servers']
+  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.use_ssl = ldap['ssl']
+  SimpleLdapAuthenticator.login_format = ldap['login_format']
 end
-if (AUTHENTICATION_SCHEMES.include? 'open_id')
+if ( SITE_CONFIG['authentication_schemes'].include? 'open_id')
   #requires ruby-openid gem to be installed
 end
 
-# setting this to true will make the cookies only available over HTTPS
-TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE = false  
-
-tracks_version='1.7'
-
-# comment out next two lines if you do not want (or can not) the date of the 
-# last git commit in the footer
-# info=`git log --pretty=format:"%ai" -1`
-# tracks_version=tracks_version + ' ('+info+')'
-
-TRACKS_VERSION=tracks_version
\ No newline at end of file
+TRACKS_VERSION='1.7'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/environments/test.rb b/config/environments/test.rb
index 221eb3da..83500f38 100644
--- a/config/environments/test.rb
+++ b/config/environments/test.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ end
 # config.transactional_fixtures = true
 # config.instantiated_fixtures = false
 # config.pre_loaded_fixtures = false
-SALT = "change-me" unless defined?( SALT ).nil?
+SITE_CONFIG['salt'] ||= 'change-me'
 
 config.time_zone = 'UTC'
 
diff --git a/config/site.yml.tmpl b/config/site.yml.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b39ab11c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/site.yml.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# This is the 'salt' to add to the password before it is encrypted
+# You need to change this to something unique for yourself
+salt: "change-me"
+
+
+# Uncomment ldap or open_id if you want to use those authentication schemes.
+# If you choose ldap, see the additional configuration options further down.
+authentication_schemes:
+  - "database"
+  # - "ldap"
+  # - "open_id"
+
+
+# You''ll probably want to change this to the time zone of the computer where Tracks is running
+# run rake time:zones:local have Rails suggest time zone names on your system
+time_zone: "UTC"
+
+
+# setting this to true will make the cookies only available over HTTPS
+secure_cookies: false
+
+
+# Set this to the subdirectory you're hosting tracks in and uncomment if applicable
+# NOTE: you will also need to set up your web server to deal with the relative
+# URL. Mongrel, for example, has a --prefix option.
+# subdir: "/tracks"
+
+
+# Only needed if ldap is included in authentication_schemes
+# ldap:
+#   library: 'net/ldap'
+#   servers:
+#     - 'localhost'
+#   use_ssl: false
+#   login_format: 'cn=%s,dc=example,dc=com'
diff --git a/lib/login_system.rb b/lib/login_system.rb
index 92128422..4ad9312c 100644
--- a/lib/login_system.rb
+++ b/lib/login_system.rb
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ module LoginSystem
       session['user_id'] = user.id
       set_current_user(user)
       current_user.remember_me
-      cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => current_user.remember_token , :expires => current_user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE }
+      cookies[:auth_token] = { :value => current_user.remember_token , :expires => current_user.remember_token_expires_at, :secure => SITE_CONFIG['secure_cookies'] }
       flash[:notice] = "Logged in successfully. Welcome back!"
     end
   end  
diff --git a/lib/tracks/config.rb b/lib/tracks/config.rb
index 93416ced..fcca8157 100644
--- a/lib/tracks/config.rb
+++ b/lib/tracks/config.rb
@@ -1,20 +1,15 @@
 module Tracks
-  
   class Config
-    
     def self.salt
-      SALT
+       SITE_CONFIG['salt']
     end
 
     def self.auth_schemes
-      AUTHENTICATION_SCHEMES
+       SITE_CONFIG['authentication_schemes'] || []
     end
     
     def self.openid_enabled?
       auth_schemes.include?('open_id')
     end
-    
-    
   end
-  
 end
\ No newline at end of file