diff --git a/rabit-learn/kmeans/Makefile b/rabit-learn/kmeans/Makefile
index 244d9afdf..bf8aaa84e 100644
--- a/rabit-learn/kmeans/Makefile
+++ b/rabit-learn/kmeans/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ MPIBIN = kmeans.mpi
 OBJ = kmeans.o
 
 # common build script for programs
-include ../common.mk
+include ../make/common.mk
 
 # dependenies here
 kmeans.rabit: kmeans.o lib
diff --git a/rabit-learn/linear/Makefile b/rabit-learn/linear/Makefile
index 88f0a2c1a..a7427916b 100644
--- a/rabit-learn/linear/Makefile
+++ b/rabit-learn/linear/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ MPIBIN =
 OBJ = linear.o
 
 # common build script for programs
-include ../common.mk
+include ../make/common.mk
 CFLAGS+=-fopenmp
 linear.o: linear.cc ../../src/*.h linear.h ../solver/*.h
 # dependenies here
diff --git a/rabit-learn/common.mk b/rabit-learn/make/common.mk
similarity index 78%
rename from rabit-learn/common.mk
rename to rabit-learn/make/common.mk
index 349e74872..cc54dc7c2 100644
--- a/rabit-learn/common.mk
+++ b/rabit-learn/make/common.mk
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 # this is the common build script for rabit programs
-# you do not have to use it 
-export CC  = gcc
-export CXX = g++
-export MPICXX = mpicxx
+# you do not have to use it
 export LDFLAGS= -pthread -lm -L../../lib -lrt
-export CFLAGS = -Wall  -msse2  -Wno-unknown-pragmas -fPIC -I../../include 
+export CFLAGS = -Wall  -msse2  -Wno-unknown-pragmas -fPIC -I../../include  
+
+# setup opencv
+ifeq ($(USE_HDFS),1)
+	CFLAGS+= -DRABIT_USE_HDFS=1 -I$(HDFS_HOME)/include
+	LDFLAGS+= -L$(HDFS_HOME)/lib/native -lhdfs
+else
+	CFLAGS+= -DRABIT_USE_HDFS=0
+endif
+
 
 .PHONY: clean all lib mpi
+
 all: $(BIN) $(MOCKBIN)
+
 mpi: $(MPIBIN)
 
 lib:
@@ -15,6 +23,7 @@ lib:
 libmpi:
 	cd ../..;make lib/librabit_mpi.a;cd -
 
+
 $(BIN) : 
 	$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ $(filter %.cpp %.o %.c %.cc,  $^) -lrabit $(LDFLAGS) 
 
diff --git a/rabit-learn/make/config.mk b/rabit-learn/make/config.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9324ca438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rabit-learn/make/config.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#-----------------------------------------------------
+#  rabit-learn: the configuration compile script
+#
+#  This is the default configuration setup for rabit-learn
+#  If you want to change configuration, do the following steps:
+#
+#  - copy this file to the root of rabit-learn folder
+#  - modify the configuration you want
+#  - type make or make -j n for parallel build
+#----------------------------------------------------
+
+# choice of compiler
+export CC = gcc
+export CXX = g++
+export MPICXX = mpicxx
+
+# whether use HDFS support during compile
+USE_HDFS = 1
+
+# home of hadoop
+HDFS_HOME = $(HADOOP_HDFS_HOME)