diff --git a/Shorewall-core/configure b/Shorewall-core/configure
index 0b3d97db8..78f29d765 100755
--- a/Shorewall-core/configure
+++ b/Shorewall-core/configure
@@ -21,10 +21,24 @@
 #	along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
 #	Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
 #
-#       Usage: ./configure <option>=<setting> ...
+#       Usage: ./configure [ <option>=<setting> ] ...
 #
 #
 ################################################################################################
+#
+# Build updates this
+#
+VERSION=4.5.2.1
+
+case "$BASH_VERSION" in
+    [4-9].*)
+	;;
+    *)
+	echo "ERROR: This program requires Bash 4.0 or later" >&2
+	exit 1
+	;;
+esac
+
 declare -A params
 declare -A options
 
@@ -46,21 +60,17 @@ getfileparams() {
     return 0
 }
 
-if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <var>=<val> ..." >&2
-    exit 1
-fi
-
 for p in $@; do
-    p=${p#--}
 
     if [ -n "${p}" ]; then
 	declare -u pn
 
 	pn=${p%=*}
+	pn=${pn#--}
 	pv=${p#*=}
 
 	if [ -n "${pn}" ]; then
+	    
 	    case ${pn} in
 		VENDOR)
 		    pn=HOST
@@ -77,6 +87,9 @@ for p in $@; do
 	    esac
     
 	    params[${pn}]="${pv}"
+	else
+	    echo "ERROR: Invalid option ($p)" >&2
+	    exit 1
 	fi
     fi
 done
@@ -84,22 +97,75 @@ done
 vendor=${params[HOST]}
 
 if [ -z "$vendor" ]; then
-    rcfile=shorewallrc.default
-    vendor=linux
+    case `uname` in
+	Darwin)
+	    $params[HOST]=apple
+	    rcfile=shorewallrc.apple
+	    ;;
+	
+	cygwin*)
+	    $params[HOST]=cygwin
+	    rcfile=shorewallrc.cygwin
+	    ;;
+	*)
+	    if [ -f /etc/debian_version ]; then
+		params[HOST]=debian
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.debian
+	    elif [ -f /etc/redhat-release ]; then
+		params[HOST]=redhat
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.redhat
+	    elif [ -f /etc/slackware-version ] ; then
+		params[HOST]=slackware
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.slackware
+	    elif [ -f /etc/SuSE-release ]; then
+		params[HOST]=suse
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.suse
+	    elif [ -f /etc/arch-release ] ; then
+		params[HOST]=archlinux
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.archlinux
+	    else
+		params[HOST]=linux
+		rcfile=shorewallrc.default
+	    fi
+	    ;;
+    esac
+
+    vendor=${params[HOST]}
+elif [ $vendor = linux ]; then
+    rcfile=$shorewallrc.default;
 else
     rcfile=shorewallrc.$vendor
+    if [ ! -f $rcfile ]; then
+	echo "ERROR: $vendor is not a recognized host type" >&2
+	exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
+if [ $vendor = linux ]; then
+    echo "INFO: Creating a generic Linux installation - " `date`;
+else
+    echo "INFO: Creating a ${vendor}-specific installation - " `date`;
+fi
+
+echo
+
 getfileparams < $rcfile || exit 1
 
 for p in ${!params[@]}; do
     options[${p}]="${params[${p}]}"
-    options[${p}]="${params[${p}]}"
 done
 
-echo "HOST=$vendor" > shorewallrc
+echo '#'                                                                 > shorewallrc
+echo "# Created by Shorewall Core version $VERSION configure - " `date` >> shorewallrc
+echo '#'                                                                >> shorewallrc
+
+if [ -n "$@" ]; then
+    echo "# Input: $@" >> shorewallrc
+    echo '#'           >> shorewallrc
+fi
 
 for on in \
+    HOST \
     PREFIX \
     SHAREDIR \
     LIBEXECDIR \
@@ -118,7 +184,6 @@ for on in \
     ANNOTATED \
     VARDIR
 do
+    echo "$on=${options[${on}]}"
     echo "$on=${options[${on}]}" >> shorewallrc
 done
-
-cat shorewallrc
diff --git a/Shorewall-core/configure.pl b/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
index b170fa95c..d03865a1c 100755
--- a/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
+++ b/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
@@ -27,22 +27,23 @@
 ################################################################################################
 use strict;
 
+#
+# Build updates this
+#
+use constant { 
+    VERSION => '4.5.2.1'
+};
+
 my %params;
 my %options;
 
-my %aliases = ( VENDOR => 'HOST',
+my %aliases = ( VENDOR         => 'HOST',
 		SHAREDSTATEDIR => 'VARDIR',
-		DATADIR => 'SHAREDIR',
-		SYSCONFDIR => 'CONFDIR' );
+		DATADIR        => 'SHAREDIR',
+		SYSCONFDIR     => 'CONFDIR' );
 
-die "Usage: $0 <var>=<val> ..." unless @ARGV;
-
-for ( @ARGV) {
-    s/^--//;
-
-    next unless defined $_ && $_ ne '';
-
-    die "Invalid option specification ( $_ )" unless /^(\w+)=(.*)$/;
+for ( @ARGV ) {
+    die "ERROR: Invalid option specification ( $_ )" unless /^(?:--)?(\w+)=(.*)$/;
 
     my $pn = uc $1;
     my $pv = $2 || '';
@@ -57,21 +58,56 @@ my $rcfile;
 my $rcfilename;
 
 if ( defined $vendor ) {
-    $rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.' . $vendor;
+    $rcfilename = $vendor eq 'linux' ? 'shorewallrc.default' : 'shorewallrc.' . $vendor;
+    die qq("ERROR: $vendor" is not a recognized host type) unless -f $rcfilename;
 } else {
-    $rcfilename   = 'shorewallrc.default';
-    $params{HOST} = 'linux';
+    if ( -f '/etc/debian_version' ) {
+	$vendor = 'debian';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.debian';
+    } elsif ( -f '/etc/redhat-release' ){
+	$vendor = 'redhat';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.redhat';
+    } elsif ( -f '/etc/slackware-version' ) {
+	$vendor = 'slackware';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.slackware';
+    } elsif ( -f '/etc/SuSE-release' ) {
+	$vendor = 'suse';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.suse';
+    } elsif ( -f '/etc/arch-release' ) {
+	$vendor = 'archlinux';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.archlinux';
+    } elsif ( `uname` =~ '^Darwin' ) {
+	$vendor = 'apple';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.apple';
+    } elsif ( `uname` =~ '^Cygwin' ) {
+	$vendor = 'cygwin';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.cygwin';
+    } else {
+	$vendor = 'linux';
+	$rcfilename = 'shorewallrc.default';
+    }
+
+    $params{HOST} = $vendor;
+}
+
+my @localtime = localtime;
+my @abbr = qw( Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec );
+
+if ( $vendor eq 'linux' ) {
+    printf "INFO: Creating a generic Linux installation - %s %2d %04d %02d:%02d:%02d\n\n", $abbr[$localtime[4]], $localtime[3], 1900 + $localtime[5] , @localtime[2,1,0];;
+} else {
+    printf "INFO: Creating a %s-specific installation - %s %2d %04d %02d:%02d:%02d\n\n", $vendor, $abbr[$localtime[4]], $localtime[3], 1900 + $localtime[5] , @localtime[2,1,0];;
 }
 
 open $rcfile, '<', $rcfilename or die "Unable to open $rcfilename for input: $!";
 
 while ( <$rcfile> ) {
-    next if /^\s*#/;
     s/\s*#.*//;
-    next if /^\s*$/;
-    chomp;
-    die "Invalid entry ($_) in $rcfilename, line $." unless /\s*(\w+)=(.*)/;
-    $options{$1} = $2;
+    unless ( /^\s*$/ ) {
+	chomp;
+	die "ERROR: Invalid entry ($_) in $rcfilename, line $." unless /\s*(\w+)=(.*)/;
+	$options{$1} = $2;
+    }
 }
 
 close $rcfile;
@@ -84,6 +120,10 @@ my $outfile;
 
 open $outfile, '>', 'shorewallrc' or die "Can't open 'shorewallrc' for output: $!";
 
+printf $outfile "#\n# Created by Shorewall Core version %s configure.pl - %s %2d %04d %02d:%02d:%02d\n#\n", VERSION, $abbr[$localtime[4]], $localtime[3], 1900 + $localtime[5] , @localtime[2,1,0];
+
+print  $outfile "# Input: @ARGV\n#\n" if @ARGV;
+
 for ( qw/ HOST
 	  PREFIX
 	  SHAREDIR
diff --git a/Shorewall-lite/install.sh b/Shorewall-lite/install.sh
index 43d780a5a..75040b31a 100755
--- a/Shorewall-lite/install.sh
+++ b/Shorewall-lite/install.sh
@@ -373,8 +373,10 @@ fi
 #
 # Install the  Makefile
 #
-run_install $OWNERSHIP -m 0600 Makefile ${DESTDIR}${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT
-echo "Makefile installed as ${DESTDIR}${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT/Makefile"
+run_install $OWNERSHIP -m 0600 Makefile ${DESTDIR}${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT
+[ $SHAREDIR = /usr/share ] || eval sed -i \'s\|/usr/share/\|${SHAREDIR}/\|\' ${DESTDIR}/${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT/Makefile
+[ $SBINDIR = /sbin ]       || eval sed -i \'s\|/sbin/\|${SBINDIR}/\|\'       ${DESTDIR}/${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT/Makefile
+echo "Makefile installed as ${DESTDIR}${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT/Makefile"
 
 #
 # Install the default config path file
diff --git a/Shorewall/install.sh b/Shorewall/install.sh
index a73e57215..7a47f7ccd 100755
--- a/Shorewall/install.sh
+++ b/Shorewall/install.sh
@@ -957,9 +957,11 @@ echo "Standard actions file installed as ${DESTDIR}${SHAREDIR}d/$PRODUCT/actions
 # Install the  Makefiles
 #
 run_install $OWNERSHIP -m 0644 Makefile-lite ${DESTDIR}${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT/configfiles/Makefile
+[ $SHAREDIR = /usr/share ] || eval sed -i \'s\|/usr/share/\|${SHAREDIR}/\|\' ${DESTDIR}/${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT/configfiles/Makefile
+[ $SBINDIR = /sbin ]       || eval sed -i \'s\|/sbin/\|${SBINDIR}/\|\'       ${DESTDIR}/${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT/configfiles/Makefile
 
 if [ -z "$SPARSE" ]; then
-    run_install $OWNERSHIP -m 0600 Makefile ${DESTDIR}${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT
+    run_install $OWNERSHIP -m 0600 ${DESTDIR}/${SHAREDIR}/$PRODUCT/configfiles/Makefile ${DESTDIR}${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT
     echo "Makefile installed as ${DESTDIR}${CONFDIR}/$PRODUCT/Makefile"
 fi
 #