gistfile1.txt

--($:~/work/subtle)-- hg diff -g Rakefile
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -20,15 +20,17 @@
 #
 # Options / defines {{{
 @options = {
-  "destdir"    => "",
-  "prefix"     => "/usr",
+  "destdir"    => "/home",
+  #"destdir"    => "",
+  "prefix"     => `whoami`.chomp,
   "manprefix"  => "$(prefix)/share/man",
   "bindir"     => "$(destdir)/$(prefix)/bin",
-  "sysconfdir" => "$(destdir)/etc",
+  "sysconfdir" => "$(destdir)/$(prefix)/etc",
   "configdir"  => "$(sysconfdir)/xdg/$(PKG_NAME)",
   "datadir"    => "$(destdir)/$(prefix)/share/$(PKG_NAME)",
   "scriptdir"  => "$(datadir)/scripts",
-  "extdir"     => "$(destdir)/$(sitelibdir)/$(PKG_NAME)",
+  #"extdir"     => "$(destdir)/$(sitelibdir)/$(PKG_NAME)",
+  "extdir"     => "/home/$(prefix)/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p136/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/subtle",
   "mandir"     => "$(destdir)/$(manprefix)/man1",
   "debug"      => "no",
   "xpm"        => "yes",


so then 
=> rake config

Produces the following output at the end:

subtle 0.9.2573
-----------------
Binaries............: /home/james/bin
Configuration.......: /home/james/etc/xdg/subtle
Scripts.............: /home/james/share/subtle/scripts
Extension...........: /home/james/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p136/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/subtle

Xpm support.........: no
Xft support.........: yes
Xinerama support....: yes
XRandR support......: yes
Debugging messages..: no