Index: channels/file.py
==================================================================
--- channels/file.py
+++ channels/file.py
@@ -119,12 +119,11 @@
     def scan_dirs(self):
         self.categories = []
     
         # add main directory
         for main in self.dir:
-          main = re.sub("^~", os.environ.get("HOME"))
-          main = re.sub("[$]([A-Z_]+)", lambda m: os.environ.get(m.group(1)), main)
+          main = os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(main))
           if os.path.exists(main):
             self.categories.append(main)
             
             # prepare subdirectories list
             sub = []