diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 52b3370fadff459092229229b22b41c6fb54ba11..3cea12245c979077c7d57e9648185df4ab89be20 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3)
-find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 project(hfo)
 
 # Change these to reflect the location of your librcsc-4.1.0 install
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ list(APPEND LINK_LIBS
   rcsc_gz
   rcsc_time
   rcsc_rcg
-  ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}
 )
 
 add_executable(sample_coach ${SOURCE_DIR}/main_coach.cpp ${SOURCE_DIR}/sample_coach.cpp ${SOURCES})
diff --git a/bin/start.py b/bin/start.py
index fbd06132701cb097dda4c215e593077f777c1c12..50b4a1f2fd1c899e73e3ed0087f2e92093540787 100755
--- a/bin/start.py
+++ b/bin/start.py
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ from signal import SIGKILL
 processes, necProcesses = [], []
 # Command to run the rcssserver. Edit as needed.
 SERVER_CMD = 'rcssserver server::port=6000 server::coach_port=6001 \
-server::olcoach_port=6002 server::coach=1 server::game_log_dir=/tmp \
-server::text_log_dir=/tmp'
+server::olcoach_port=6002 server::coach=1 server::game_log_dir=log \
+server::text_log_dir=log'
 # Command to run the monitor. Edit as needed.
 MONITOR_CMD = 'rcssmonitor'
 
@@ -50,8 +50,10 @@ def main(args, team1='left', team2='right', rng=numpy.random.RandomState()):
   assert os.path.isdir(team2Dir)
   try:
     # Launch the Server
-    launch(SERVER_CMD + serverOptions, name='server')
+    server = launch(SERVER_CMD + serverOptions, name='server')
     time.sleep(0.2)
+    assert server.poll() is None,\
+      'Failed to launch Server with command: \"%s\"'%(SERVER_CMD)
     if not args.headless:
       launch(MONITOR_CMD,name='monitor')
     # Launch the Trainer