diff --git a/webshell/tests/viewer/main.cpp b/webshell/tests/viewer/main.cpp
index 3b9fc9d886d..30ba23dfd04 100644
--- a/webshell/tests/viewer/main.cpp
+++ b/webshell/tests/viewer/main.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,13 @@
 #include "nsViewer.h"
 #include "nsMotifMenu.h"
 #include "nsIImageManager.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#define FILE_BASE_URL "file:////home/kmcclusk/mozilla/dist/Linux2.0.31_x86_DBG.OBJ/bin/res/samples"
 
 class nsMotifViewer : public nsViewer {
     virtual void AddMenu(nsIWidget* aMainWindow);
+    virtual char* GetBaseURL();
 };
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------
@@ -64,4 +68,29 @@ void nsMotifViewer::AddMenu(nsIWidget* aMainWindow)
   CreateViewerMenus(XtParent(aMainWindow->GetNativeData(NS_NATIVE_WIDGET)), MenuProc);
 }
 
+char* nsMotifViewer::GetBaseURL()
+{
+    static char* protocol = "file:///";
+    static char url[MAXPATHLEN + sizeof(protocol)];
+    FILE *pp;
+
+   char location[MAXPATHLEN];
+
+   if (!(pp = popen("pwd", "r"))) {
+     printf("Error in nsMotifViewer::GetBaseURL 1\n");
+     return(0);
+   }
+   else {
+    if (fgets(location, MAXPATHLEN, pp)) {
+      location[strlen(location)-1] = 0;
+      sprintf(url, "%s%s%s", protocol,location, "/res/samples");
+      return(url); 
+    }
+    else
+     printf("Error in nsMotifViewer::GetBaseURL 2\n");
+     return(0);
+   }
+
+}
+
 
diff --git a/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.cpp b/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.cpp
index ef7d692eac2..0825ffda910 100644
--- a/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.cpp
+++ b/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.cpp
@@ -81,8 +81,12 @@ static NS_DEFINE_IID(kCScrollingViewCID, NS_SCROLLING_VIEW_CID);
 static NS_DEFINE_IID(kCWebWidgetCID, NS_WEBWIDGET_CID);
 
 
+//#define SAMPLES_BASE_URL "file:////home/kmcclusk/mozilla/dist/Linux2.0.31_x86_DBG.OBJ/bin/res/samples"
+//#define START_URL SAMPLES_BASE_URL "/test0.html"
+
+
 #define SAMPLES_BASE_URL "resource:/res/samples"
-#define START_URL SAMPLES_BASE_URL "/test0.html"
+#define DEFAULT_DOC "/test0.html"
 
 nsViewer* gTheViewer = nsnull;
 WindowData * gMainWindowData = nsnull;
@@ -654,7 +658,7 @@ void nsViewer::AddTestDocs(nsDocLoader* aDocLoader)
   char url[500];
   for (int docnum = 0; docnum < gNumSamples; docnum++)
   {
-    PR_snprintf(url, 500, "%s/test%d.html", SAMPLES_BASE_URL, docnum);
+    PR_snprintf(url, 500, "%s/test%d.html", GetBaseURL(), docnum);
     aDocLoader->AddURL(url);
   }
 }
@@ -950,7 +954,7 @@ nsEventStatus nsViewer::ProcessMenu(PRUint32 aId, WindowData* wd)
       if ((nsnull != wd) && (nsnull != wd->ww)) {
         PRIntn ix = aId - VIEWER_DEMO0;
         char* url = new char[500];
-        PR_snprintf(url, 500, "%s/test%d.html", SAMPLES_BASE_URL, ix);
+        PR_snprintf(url, 500, "%s/test%d.html", GetBaseURL(), ix);
         wd->observer->LoadURL(url);
         delete url;
       }
@@ -1117,7 +1121,7 @@ nsDocLoader* nsViewer::SetupViewer(nsIWidget **aMainWindow, int argc, char **arg
   }
   else {
       // Load the starting url if we have one
-    wd->observer->LoadURL(startURL ? startURL : START_URL);
+    wd->observer->LoadURL(startURL ? startURL : GetDefaultStartURL());
     if (gDoQuantify) {
       // Synthesize 20 ResizeReflow commands (+/- 10 pixels) and then
       // exit.
@@ -1144,6 +1148,19 @@ void nsViewer::AfterDispatch()
    NET_PollSockets();
 }
 
+char* nsViewer::GetBaseURL()
+{
+  return(SAMPLES_BASE_URL);
+}
+
+char* nsViewer::GetDefaultStartURL()
+{
+static char defaultURL[MAXPATHLEN];
+
+  sprintf(defaultURL, "%s%s", GetBaseURL(), DEFAULT_DOC);
+  return(defaultURL);
+}
+
 void nsViewer::AddMenu(nsIWidget* aMainWindow)
 {
   printf("Menu not implemented\n");
diff --git a/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.h b/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.h
index f0f9eff08ef..ca6e88c64aa 100644
--- a/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.h
+++ b/webshell/tests/viewer/nsViewer.h
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ struct WindowData {
 
 class nsViewer : public nsDispatchListener {
   public:
+    virtual char* GetBaseURL();
+    virtual char* GetDefaultStartURL();
     virtual void AddMenu(nsIWidget* aMainWindow);
     virtual void ShowConsole(WindowData* aWindata);
     virtual void CloseConsole();