diff --git a/docs/source/install/configuration.rst b/docs/source/install/configuration.rst
index 6cad989b..5133dbe3 100644
--- a/docs/source/install/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/source/install/configuration.rst
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ These settings are used by FIREWHEEL's :ref:`cli`.
 
 .. table::
 
-    +-------------+----------+----------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |   Setting   |Value Type| Default  |                                           Description                                             |
-    +=============+==========+==========+===================================================================================================+
-    |``cache_dir``|string    |``fw_cli``|The folder name of the CLI Helper cache.                                                           |
-    +-------------+----------+----------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``root_dir`` |string    |``""``    |The path to the ``cache_dir``. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.|
-    +-------------+----------+----------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |   Setting   |Value Type| Default          |                                           Description                                             |
+    +=============+==========+==================+===================================================================================================+
+    |``cache_dir``|string    |``fw_cli``        |The folder name of the CLI Helper cache.                                                           |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``root_dir`` |string    |``/tmp/firewheel``|The path to the ``cache_dir``. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.|
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
 .. _config-cluster:
 
@@ -100,21 +100,21 @@ These settings are used by FIREWHEEL's gRPC service.
 
 .. table::
 
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |   Setting   |Value Type|  Default  |                                                                     Description                                                                      |
-    +=============+==========+===========+======================================================================================================================================================+
-    |``cache_dir``|string    |``fw_grpc``|The folder name of the gRPC database cache.                                                                                                           |
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``db``       |string    |``prod``   |The name of the database to use. We use ``prod`` for production and ``test`` for running our test suite.                                              |
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``hostname`` |string    |``""``     |The hostname or IP address of FIREWHEEL's gRPC service. This is typically the :ref:`cluster-control-node`.                                            |
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``port``     |int       |``50051``  |The port number for FIREWHEEL's gRPC service.                                                                                                         |
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``root_dir`` |string    |``""``     |The path to the ``cache_dir``. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.                                                   |
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``threads``  |int       |``2``      |The number of threads used for the gRPC service. If the cluster is larger, the number of threads should be increased to facilitate better performance.|
-    +-------------+----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |   Setting   |Value Type|  Default         |                                                                     Description                                                                      |
+    +=============+==========+==================+======================================================================================================================================================+
+    |``cache_dir``|string    |``fw_grpc``       |The folder name of the gRPC database cache.                                                                                                           |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``db``       |string    |``prod``          |The name of the database to use. We use ``prod`` for production and ``test`` for running our test suite.                                              |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``hostname`` |string    |``localhost``     |The hostname or IP address of FIREWHEEL's gRPC service. This is typically the :ref:`cluster-control-node`.                                            |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``port``     |int       |``50051``         |The port number for FIREWHEEL's gRPC service.                                                                                                         |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``root_dir`` |string    |``/tmp/firewheel``|The path to the ``cache_dir``. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.                                                   |
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+    |``threads``  |int       |``2``             |The number of threads used for the gRPC service. If the cluster is larger, the number of threads should be increased to facilitate better performance.|
+    +-------------+----------+------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
 .. _config-logging:
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ These settings are used to manage FIREWHEEL's logging capabilities.
     +-------------------------+----------+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |.. _config-root_log_dir: |          |                    |                                                                                                                                 |
     |                         |          |                    |                                                                                                                                 |
-    |``root_dir``             |string    |``""``              |The path to the log files. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.                                  |
+    |``root_dir``             |string    |``/tmp/firewheel``  |The path to the log files. If left empty, the ``system.default_output_dir`` value will be used.                                  |
     +-------------------------+----------+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |.. _config-vmr_log_dir:  |          |                    |                                                                                                                                 |
     |                         |          |                    |                                                                                                                                 |
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ These settings are used for interaction between FIREWHEEL and `minimega <https:/
     +------------------------+----------+-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |``degree``              |int       |``1``                  |The minimega degree for the cluster. This specifies the number of other nodes minimega should try to connect to and should be equal to the number of nodes in your :ref:`FIREWHEEL-cluster`. |
     +------------------------+----------+-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-    |``experiment_interface``|string    |``""``                 |The NIC for the current host for which will be used to connect to other :ref:`cluster-nodes`.                                                                                                |
+    |``experiment_interface``|string    |``lo``                 |The NIC for the current host for which will be used to connect to other :ref:`cluster-nodes`.                                                                                                |
     +------------------------+----------+-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |``files_dir``           |string    |``/tmp/minimega/files``|minimega's ``filepath``  option, which is used in their `iomeshage capability <https://www.sandia.gov/minimega/using-minimega/>`_.                                                           |
     +------------------------+----------+-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
diff --git a/src/firewheel/config/config-template.yaml b/src/firewheel/config/config-template.yaml
index 9768660d..efb44ddf 100644
--- a/src/firewheel/config/config-template.yaml
+++ b/src/firewheel/config/config-template.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ ansible: {}
 attribute_defaults: {}
 cli:
     cache_dir: fw_cli
-    root_dir: ""
+    root_dir: /tmp/firewheel
 cluster:
     compute: []
     control: []
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ discovery:
 grpc:
     cache_dir: fw_grpc
     db: prod
-    hostname: ""
+    hostname: localhost
     port: 50051
-    root_dir: ""
+    root_dir: /tmp/firewheel
     threads: 2
 logging:
     cli_log: cli.log
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ logging:
     firewheel_log: firewheel.log
     level: DEBUG
     minimega_log: minimega.log
-    root_dir: ""
+    root_dir: /tmp/firewheel
     vmr_log_dir: vm_resource_logs
 minimega:
     base_dir: /tmp/minimega
     control_bridge: mega_bridge
     degree: 1
-    experiment_interface: ""
+    experiment_interface: lo
     files_dir: /tmp/minimega/files
     install_dir: /opt/minimega
     namespace: firewheel