diff --git a/ndn/conf_parser.py b/ndn/conf_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62cc8fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ndn/conf_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+import ConfigParser, re
+
+class confNDNHost():
+
+    def __init__(self, name, app='', params='', cpu=None, cores=None, cache=None):
+        self.name = name
+        self.app = app
+        self.uri_tuples = params
+        self.cpu = cpu
+        self.cores = cores
+        self.cache = cache
+
+        # For now assume leftovers are NLSR configuration parameters
+        self.nlsrParameters = params
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return 'Name: '    + self.name + \
+               ' App: '    + self.app + \
+               ' URIS: '   + str(self.uri_tuples) + \
+               ' CPU: '    + str(self.cpu) + \
+               ' Cores: '  + str(self.cores) + \
+               ' Cache: '  + str(self.cache) + \
+               ' Radius: ' + str(self.radius) + \
+               ' Angle: '  + str(self.angle) + \
+               ' NLSR Parameters: ' + self.nlsrParameters
+
+class confNDNLink():
+
+    def __init__(self,h1,h2,linkDict=None):
+        self.h1 = h1
+        self.h2 = h2
+        self.linkDict = linkDict
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return 'h1: ' + self.h1 + ' h2: ' + self.h2 + ' params: ' + str(self.linkDict)
+
+def parse_hosts(conf_arq):
+    'Parse hosts section from the conf file.'
+    config = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
+    config.read(conf_arq)
+
+    hosts = []
+
+    items = config.items('nodes')
+
+        #makes a first-pass read to hosts section to find empty host sections
+    for item in items:
+        name = item[0]
+        rest = item[1].split()
+        if len(rest) == 0:
+            config.set('nodes', name, '_')
+        #updates 'items' list
+    items = config.items('nodes')
+
+        #makes a second-pass read to hosts section to properly add hosts
+    for item in items:
+
+        name = item[0]
+
+        rest = item[1].split()
+
+        app = rest.pop(0)
+
+        uris = rest
+        params = {}
+        cpu = None
+        cores = None
+        cache = None
+
+        for uri in uris:
+            if re.match("cpu",uri):
+                cpu = float(uri.split('=')[1])
+            elif re.match("cores",uri):
+                cores = uri.split('=')[1]
+            elif re.match("cache",uri):
+                cache = uri.split('=')[1]
+            elif re.match("mem",uri):
+                mem = uri.split('=')[1]
+            else:
+                params[uri.split('=')[0]] = uri.split('=')[1]
+
+        hosts.append(confNDNHost(name, app, params, cpu, cores, cache))
+
+    return hosts
+
+def parse_links(conf_arq):
+    'Parse links section from the conf file.'
+    arq = open(conf_arq,'r')
+
+    links = []
+
+    while True:
+        line = arq.readline()
+        if line == '[links]\n':
+            break
+
+    while True:
+        line = arq.readline()
+        if line == '':
+            break
+
+        args = line.split()
+
+        #checks for non-empty line
+        if len(args) == 0:
+            continue
+
+        h1, h2 = args.pop(0).split(':')
+
+        link_dict = {}
+
+        for arg in args:
+            arg_name, arg_value = arg.split('=')
+            key = arg_name
+            value = arg_value
+            if key in ['bw','jitter','max_queue_size']:
+                value = int(value)
+            if key in ['loss']:
+                value = float(value)
+            link_dict[key] = value
+
+        links.append(confNDNLink(h1,h2,link_dict))
+
+
+    return links
diff --git a/ndn/nfd.py b/ndn/nfd.py
index b33fc37..6fea538 100644
--- a/ndn/nfd.py
+++ b/ndn/nfd.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
         self.ndnFolder = "%s/.ndn" % self.homeFolder
         self.clientConf = "%s/client.conf" % self.ndnFolder
 
-        # Copy nfd.conf file from mini-ndn/ndn_utils to the node's home
-        node.cmd("sudo cp ~/mini-ndn/ndn_utils/nfd.conf %s" % self.confFile)
+        # Copy nfd.conf file from /usr/local/etc/mini-ndn to the node's home
+        node.cmd("sudo cp /usr/local/etc/mini-ndn/nfd.conf %s" % self.confFile)
 
         # Open the conf file and change socket file name
         node.cmd("sudo sed -i 's|nfd.sock|%s.sock|g' %s" % (node.name, self.confFile))
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         node.cmd("sudo mkdir %s" % self.ndnFolder)
 
         # Copy the client.conf file and change the unix socket
-        node.cmd("sudo cp ~/mini-ndn/ndn_utils/client.conf.sample %s" % self.clientConf)
+        node.cmd("sudo cp /usr/local/etc/mini-ndn/client.conf.sample %s" % self.clientConf)
         node.cmd("sudo sed -i 's|nfd.sock|%s.sock|g' %s" % (node.name, self.clientConf))
 
         # Change home folder
diff --git a/ndn/nlsr.py b/ndn/nlsr.py
index cda91ea..d376531 100644
--- a/ndn/nlsr.py
+++ b/ndn/nlsr.py
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
     ROUTING_LINK_STATE = "ls"
     ROUTING_HYPERBOLIC = "hr"
 
-    def __init__(self, node, home):
-        node.cmd("sudo cp %s/mini-ndn/ndn_utils/nlsr.conf nlsr.conf" % home)
+    def __init__(self, node):
+        node.cmd("sudo cp /usr/local/etc/mini-ndn/nlsr.conf nlsr.conf")
         self.node = node
 
         parameters = node.nlsrParameters