diff --git a/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala b/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
--- a/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
+++ b/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
@@ -1,136 +1,136 @@
 /*  Title:      Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
     Author:     Makarius
 
 Manage other Isabelle distributions: support historic versions starting from
 tag "build_history_base".
 */
 
 package isabelle
 
 
 object Other_Isabelle {
   def apply(
     isabelle_home: Path,
     isabelle_identifier: String = "",
     progress: Progress = new Progress
   ): Other_Isabelle = {
     new Other_Isabelle(isabelle_home.canonical, isabelle_identifier, progress)
   }
 }
 
 final class Other_Isabelle private(
   val isabelle_home: Path,
   val isabelle_identifier: String,
   progress: Progress
 ) {
   override def toString: String = isabelle_home.toString
 
   if (proper_string(System.getenv("ISABELLE_SETTINGS_PRESENT")).isDefined) {
     error("Cannot initialize with enclosing ISABELLE_SETTINGS_PRESENT")
   }
 
 
   /* static system */
 
   def bash(
     script: String,
     redirect: Boolean = false,
     echo: Boolean = false,
     strict: Boolean = true
   ): Process_Result = {
     progress.bash(
       Isabelle_System.export_isabelle_identifier(isabelle_identifier) + script,
       env = null, cwd = isabelle_home.file, redirect = redirect, echo = echo, strict = strict)
   }
 
   def getenv(name: String): String =
     bash("bin/isabelle getenv -b " + Bash.string(name)).check.out
 
   val settings: Isabelle_System.Settings = (name: String) => getenv(name)
 
   def expand_path(path: Path): Path = path.expand_env(settings)
   def bash_path(path: Path): String = Bash.string(expand_path(path).implode)
 
-  def isabelle_home_user: Path = expand_path(Path.explode("$ISABELLE_HOME_USER"))
+  val isabelle_home_user: Path = expand_path(Path.explode("$ISABELLE_HOME_USER"))
 
-  def etc: Path = expand_path(Path.explode("$ISABELLE_HOME_USER/etc"))
+  def etc: Path = isabelle_home_user + Path.explode("etc")
   def etc_settings: Path = etc + Path.explode("settings")
   def etc_preferences: Path = etc + Path.explode("preferences")
 
   def resolve_components(echo: Boolean = false): Unit = {
     val missing = Path.split(getenv("ISABELLE_COMPONENTS_MISSING"))
     for (path <- missing) {
       Components.resolve(path.dir, path.file_name,
         progress = if (echo) progress else new Progress)
     }
   }
 
   def scala_build(fresh: Boolean = false, echo: Boolean = false): Unit = {
     if (fresh) {
       Isabelle_System.rm_tree(isabelle_home + Path.explode("lib/classes"))
     }
 
     val dummy_stty = Path.explode("~~/lib/dummy_stty/stty")
     if (!expand_path(dummy_stty).is_file) {
       Isabelle_System.copy_file(dummy_stty,
         Isabelle_System.make_directory(expand_path(dummy_stty.dir)))
     }
     try {
       bash(
         "export PATH=\"" + bash_path(dummy_stty.dir) + ":$PATH\"\n" +
         "export CLASSPATH=" + Bash.string(getenv("ISABELLE_CLASSPATH")) + "\n" +
         "bin/isabelle jedit -b", echo = echo).check
     }
     catch { case ERROR(msg) => cat_error("Failed to build Isabelle/Scala/Java modules:", msg) }
   }
 
 
   /* components */
 
   def init_components(
     component_repository: String = Components.default_component_repository,
     components_base: Path = Components.default_components_base,
     catalogs: List[String] = Components.default_catalogs,
     components: List[String] = Nil
   ): List[String] = {
     val dir = Components.admin(isabelle_home)
 
     ("ISABELLE_COMPONENT_REPOSITORY=" + Bash.string(component_repository)) ::
     catalogs.map(name =>
       "init_components " + File.bash_path(components_base) + " " +
         File.bash_path(dir + Path.basic(name))) :::
     components.map(name =>
       "init_component " + File.bash_path(components_base + Path.basic(name)))
   }
 
 
   /* settings */
 
   def clean_settings(): Boolean =
     if (!etc_settings.is_file) true
     else if (File.read(etc_settings).startsWith("# generated by Isabelle")) {
       etc_settings.file.delete
       true
     }
     else false
 
   def init_settings(settings: List[String]): Unit = {
     if (clean_settings()) {
       Isabelle_System.make_directory(etc_settings.dir)
       File.write(etc_settings,
         "# generated by Isabelle " + Date.now() + "\n" +
         "#-*- shell-script -*- :mode=shellscript:\n" +
         settings.mkString("\n", "\n", "\n"))
     }
     else error("Cannot proceed with existing user settings file: " + etc_settings)
   }
 
 
   /* cleanup */
 
   def cleanup(): Unit = {
     clean_settings()
     etc.file.delete
     isabelle_home_user.file.delete
   }
 }