diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.linux/library/Makefile b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.linux/library/Makefile
index 4318834f0eb..8b5010ac532 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.linux/library/Makefile
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.linux/library/Makefile
@@ -1,29 +1,28 @@
 # makefile for libspawner.so
 
-# set JDK_INCLUDES if they are not already set in the environment
-# spit out a warning if the make script will be using the default values
-ifeq ($(JDK_INCLUDES),)
-$(warning JDK_INCLUDES not set in environment, using default: $(JDK_INCLUDES))
+ifeq ($(JAVA_HOME),)
+$(warning JAVA_HOME not set in environment)
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(JDK_OS_INCLUDES),)
-$(warning JDK_OS_INCLUDES not set in environment, using default: $(JDK_OS_INCLUDES))
-endif
+# Defaults which can be overridden.
+OS = linux
+ARCH = x86
 
-
-JDK_INCLUDES=/usr/local/jdk/include
-JDK_OS_INCLUDES=/usr/local/jdk/include/linux
+JDK_INCLUDES= $(JAVA_HOME)/include
+JDK_OS_INCLUDES= $(JAVA_HOME)/include/$(OS)
 
 CC=gcc
 CPPFLAGS = -I. -I$(JDK_INCLUDES) -I$(JDK_OS_INCLUDES)
 CFLAGS +=-fpic -D_REENTRANT
 
+INSTALL_DIR = ../os/$(OS)/$(ARCH)
+
 LIB_NAME_SPAWNER = libspawner.so
-LIB_NAME_FULL_SPAWNER = ../os/linux/x86/libspawner.so
+LIB_NAME_FULL_SPAWNER = $(INSTALL_DIR)/libspawner.so
 OBJS_SPAWNER=spawner.o io.o exec_unix.o pfind.o
 
 LIB_NAME_PTY = libpty.so
-LIB_NAME_FULL_PTY = ../os/linux/x86/libpty.so
+LIB_NAME_FULL_PTY = $(INSTALL_DIR)/libpty.so
 OBJS_PTY= openpty.o pty.o ptyio.o
 
 OBJS = $(OBJS_SPAWNER) $(OBJS_PTY)
@@ -33,9 +32,11 @@ all: $(LIB_NAME_FULL_SPAWNER) $(LIB_NAME_FULL_PTY)
 rebuild: clean all
 
 $(LIB_NAME_FULL_SPAWNER) : $(OBJS_SPAWNER)
+	mkdir -p $(INSTALL_DIR)
 	$(CC) -g -shared -Wl,-soname,$(LIB_NAME_SPAWNER) -o $(LIB_NAME_FULL_SPAWNER) $(OBJS_SPAWNER) -lc
 
 $(LIB_NAME_FULL_PTY): $(OBJS_PTY)
+	mkdir -p $(INSTALL_DIR)
 	$(CC) -g -shared -Wl,-soname,$(LIB_NAME_PTY) -o $(LIB_NAME_FULL_PTY) $(OBJS_PTY)
 
 clean :