diff --git a/hadoopy/_runner.py b/hadoopy/_runner.py
index 8902727..7c7704b 100644
--- a/hadoopy/_runner.py
+++ b/hadoopy/_runner.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import tempfile
 import hadoopy._freeze
 
+import pdb
 
 def _find_hstreaming():
     """Finds the whole path to the hadoop streaming jar.
@@ -39,19 +40,29 @@ def _find_hstreaming():
     try:
         search_root = os.environ['HADOOP_HOME']
     except KeyError:
-        search_root = '/'
-    cmd = 'find %s -name hadoop*streaming*.jar' % (search_root)
-    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        # cloudera default install
+        if os.path.isdir('/usr/lib/hadoop'):
+            sys.stderr.write('HADOOP_HOME not set, found /usr/lib/hadoop, searching for streaming jar\n')
+            search_root = '/usr/lib/hadoop'
+        else:
+            sys.stderr.write('HADOOP_HOME not set, falling back to /, please set HADOOP_HOME\n')
+            search_root = '/'
+    cmd = "find -L %s -name 'hadoop*streaming*.jar'" % (search_root)
+    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd,shell=True,stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                          stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-    return p.communicate()[0].split('\n')[0]
+    streamingjar = p.communicate()[0].split('\n')[0]
+    if not os.path.isfile(streamingjar):
+        raise Exception('cannot find streaming jar')
+    else:
+        return streamingjar
 
 
 def launch(in_name, out_name, script_path, mapper=True, reducer=True,
            combiner=False, partitioner=False, files=(), jobconfs=(),
            cmdenvs=(), copy_script=True, hstreaming=None, name=None,
-           use_typedbytes=True, use_seqoutput=True, use_autoinput=True,
-           pretend=False, add_python=True, config=None, 
-           python_cmd="python", num_mappers=None, num_reducers=None, 
+           use_typedbytes=False, use_seqoutput=False, use_autoinput=True,
+           pretend=False, add_python=False, config=None, 
+           python_cmd=None, num_mappers=None, num_reducers=None, 
            script_dir='',**kw):
     """Run Hadoop given the parameters
 
@@ -98,12 +109,14 @@ def launch(in_name, out_name, script_path, mapper=True, reducer=True,
         subprocess.CalledProcessError: Hadoop error.
         OSError: Hadoop streaming not found.
     """
-    try:
+    if hstreaming:
         hadoop_cmd = 'hadoop jar ' + hstreaming
-    except TypeError:
+    else:
         hadoop_cmd = 'hadoop jar ' + _find_hstreaming()
     job_name = os.path.basename(script_path)
     if add_python:
+        if not python_cmd:
+            python_cmd = sys.executable
         script_name = '%s %s' % (python_cmd, os.path.basename(script_path))
     else:
         script_name = os.path.basename(script_path)
@@ -120,7 +133,7 @@ def launch(in_name, out_name, script_path, mapper=True, reducer=True,
     if isinstance(in_name, str):
         in_name = [in_name]
     for f in in_name:
-        cmd += ['-input', f]
+        cmd += ['-input', "'%s'" % (f,)]
     # Add mapper/reducer
     cmd += ['-mapper',
             '"%s"' % (mapper)]
@@ -137,9 +150,9 @@ def launch(in_name, out_name, script_path, mapper=True, reducer=True,
         cmd += ['-partitioner',
                 '"%s"' % (partitioner)]
     if num_mappers:
-        cmd += ['-numMapTasks', "'%i'"%(int(num_mappers))]
+        cmd += ['-numMapTasks', '%i' % (int(num_mappers),)]
     if num_reducers:
-        cmd += ['-numReduceTasks', "'%i'"%(int(num_reducers))]
+        cmd += ['-numReduceTasks', '%i' %(int(num_reducers),)]
     # Add files
     if isinstance(files, str):
         files = [files]
@@ -157,7 +170,7 @@ def launch(in_name, out_name, script_path, mapper=True, reducer=True,
     del new_files
     # END BUG
     for f in files:
-        cmd += ['-file', f]
+        cmd += ['-file', "'%s'" % (f,)]
     # Add jobconfs
     if isinstance(jobconfs, str):
         jobconfs = [jobconfs]