diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e3a16ed85f3d6ad1f1871c2f008477c1fa1cd277..e266fce58b7a96956c513e436c9cd7a6eaa62986 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,3 +3,12 @@
 [API Docs](https://scs.pages.ub.uni-bielefeld.de/cocosy/overcooked-simulator)
 
 The real-time overcooked simulation for a cognitive cooperative system
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+```cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory (search paths /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri:\$${ORIGIN}/dri:/usr/lib/dri, suffix _dri)```
+if you have a conda environment:
+
+```bash
+conda install -c conda-forge libstdcxx-ng
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/overcooked_simulator/__init__.py b/overcooked_simulator/__init__.py
index 84f54aa7f8699853279eb036fa4df6f9e071be89..7d983330e5810899308a2e0b5b06990a754af5f6 100644
--- a/overcooked_simulator/__init__.py
+++ b/overcooked_simulator/__init__.py
@@ -13,3 +13,7 @@ It contains of
 
 
 """
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT_DIR = Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))  # This is your Project Root
diff --git a/overcooked_simulator/main.py b/overcooked_simulator/main.py
index 8da89c091bdbd7334361024d598f9b63b055228a..b197caffaeb8ed59ea22a560e4d771a6514b2c9b 100644
--- a/overcooked_simulator/main.py
+++ b/overcooked_simulator/main.py
@@ -4,17 +4,15 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import numpy as np
 import pygame
 
+from overcooked_simulator import ROOT_DIR
 from overcooked_simulator.game_items import Tomato
 from overcooked_simulator.player import Player
 from overcooked_simulator.pygame_gui.pygame_gui import PyGameGUI
 from overcooked_simulator.simulation_runner import Simulator
-from root_definition import ROOT_DIR
 
 
 def main():
-    simulator = Simulator(
-        Path(ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/layouts/basic.layout"), 600
-    )
+    simulator = Simulator(Path(ROOT_DIR, "layouts", "basic.layout"), 600)
     player_one_name = "p1"
     player_two_name = "p2"
     simulator.register_player(Player(player_one_name, np.array([100, 200])))
diff --git a/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/pygame_gui.py b/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/pygame_gui.py
index 8692b0da2b35e7bceca0723d78c772ada52d36e1..cc1bbef0298757f4820545613defe849bb48f551 100644
--- a/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/pygame_gui.py
+++ b/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/pygame_gui.py
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import numpy as np
 import pygame
 
+from overcooked_simulator import ROOT_DIR
 from overcooked_simulator.counters import CuttingBoard
 from overcooked_simulator.game_items import ProgressibleItem
 from overcooked_simulator.game_items import Tomato
 from overcooked_simulator.overcooked_environment import Action
 from overcooked_simulator.simulation_runner import Simulator
-from root_definition import ROOT_DIR
 
 WHITE = (255, 255, 255)
 GREY = (190, 190, 190)
@@ -76,6 +78,8 @@ class PyGameGUI:
             for player_name, keys in zip(self.player_names, self.player_keys)
         ]
 
+        self.images_path = Path(ROOT_DIR, "pygame_gui", "images")
+
     def send_action(self, action: Action):
         """Sends an action to the game environment.
 
@@ -168,11 +172,11 @@ class PyGameGUI:
         if isinstance(item, Tomato):
             if item.finished:
                 image = pygame.image.load(
-                    ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/images/tomato_cut.png"
+                    self.images_path / "tomato_cut.png"
                 ).convert_alpha()  # or .convert_alpha()
             else:
                 image = pygame.image.load(
-                    ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/pygame_gui/images/tomato.png"
+                    self.images_path / "tomato.png"
                 ).convert_alpha()  # or .convert_alpha()
             rect = image.get_rect()
             rect.center = pos
diff --git a/root_definition.py b/root_definition.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e52d60a54ab03adea4906a946949e6a18a072b0..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/root_definition.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-import os
-
-ROOT_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))  # This is your Project Root
diff --git a/tests/test_start.py b/tests/test_start.py
index a3897da8180930b619aacca83334d0ab636c82b4..4a68443a8e9d0c8ecce876d5c976f4f59dba5aad 100644
--- a/tests/test_start.py
+++ b/tests/test_start.py
@@ -2,20 +2,24 @@ import time
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import numpy as np
+import pytest
 
+from overcooked_simulator import ROOT_DIR
 from overcooked_simulator.counters import Counter, CuttingBoard
 from overcooked_simulator.game_items import Tomato
 from overcooked_simulator.overcooked_environment import Action
 from overcooked_simulator.player import Player
 from overcooked_simulator.simulation_runner import Simulator
-from root_definition import ROOT_DIR
-
-try:
-    with open(ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/layouts/basic.layout", "r") as textfile:
-        pass
-    layouts_folder = Path(ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/layouts")
-except FileNotFoundError as e:
-    layouts_folder = Path(ROOT_DIR + "/overcooked_simulator/layouts")
+
+layouts_folder = Path(ROOT_DIR / "layouts")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def test_file_availability():
+    assert layouts_folder.is_dir(), "layouts folder does not exists"
+    assert (
+        layouts_folder / "basic.layout"
+    ).is_file(), "basic layouts file does not exists"
 
 
 def test_player_registration():