diff -up src/sage/env.py.orig src/sage/env.py
--- src/sage/env.py.orig	2020-10-30 16:09:54.834029866 -0600
+++ src/sage/env.py	2020-10-30 16:10:20.089999891 -0600
@@ -159,14 +159,14 @@ var('SAGE_DATE',           version.date)
 var('SAGE_VERSION_BANNER', version.banner)
 
 # bunch of sage directories and files
-var('SAGE_LOCAL',          os.path.abspath(sys.prefix))
-var('SAGE_ETC',            join(SAGE_LOCAL, 'etc'))
-var('SAGE_INC',            join(SAGE_LOCAL, 'include'))
-var('SAGE_SHARE',          join(SAGE_LOCAL, 'share'))
-var('SAGE_DOC',            join(SAGE_SHARE, 'doc', 'sage'))
+var('SAGE_LOCAL',          '@@SAGE_LOCAL@@')
+var('SAGE_ETC',            join('/usr', 'share', 'sagemath', 'etc'))
+var('SAGE_INC',            join('/usr', 'include'))
+var('SAGE_SHARE',          join('/usr', 'share', 'sagemath'))
+var('SAGE_DOC',            join('/usr', 'share', 'doc', 'sagemath'))
 var('SAGE_SPKG_INST',      join(SAGE_LOCAL, 'var', 'lib', 'sage', 'installed'))
 var('SAGE_LIB',            os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(sage.__file__)))
-var('SAGE_EXTCODE',        join(SAGE_LIB, 'sage', 'ext_data'))
+var('SAGE_EXTCODE',        join('/usr', 'share', 'sagemath', 'etc'))
 
 var('SAGE_ROOT')           # no fallback for SAGE_ROOT
 var('SAGE_SRC',            join(SAGE_ROOT, 'src'), SAGE_LIB)
@@ -187,13 +187,13 @@ var('THEBE_DIR',                     joi
 var('COMBINATORIAL_DESIGN_DATA_DIR', join(SAGE_SHARE, 'combinatorial_designs'))
 var('CREMONA_MINI_DATA_DIR',         join(SAGE_SHARE, 'cremona'))
 var('CREMONA_LARGE_DATA_DIR',        join(SAGE_SHARE, 'cremona'))
-var('JMOL_DIR',                      join(SAGE_SHARE, 'jmol'))
-var('JSMOL_DIR',                     join(SAGE_SHARE, 'jsmol'))
-var('MATHJAX_DIR',                   join(SAGE_SHARE, 'mathjax'))
-var('MTXLIB',                        join(SAGE_SHARE, 'meataxe'))
+var('JMOL_DIR',                      join('/usr', 'share', 'java', 'jmol'))
+var('JSMOL_DIR',                     join('/usr', 'share', 'javascript', 'jsmol'))
+var('MATHJAX_DIR',                   join('/usr', 'share', 'javascript', 'mathjax'))
+var('MTXLIB',                        join(DOT_SAGE, 'meataxe'))
 var('THREEJS_DIR',                   join(SAGE_SHARE, 'threejs'))
 var('SINGULARPATH',                  join(SAGE_SHARE, 'singular'))
-var('PPLPY_DOCS',                    join(SAGE_SHARE, 'doc', 'pplpy'))
+var('PPLPY_DOCS',                    join('/usr', 'share', 'doc', 'python3-pplpy'))
 var('MAXIMA',                        'maxima')
 var('MAXIMA_FAS')
 var('SAGE_NAUTY_BINS_PREFIX',        '')