diff --git a/ilcsoft/edm4hep.py b/ilcsoft/edm4hep.py
index 152d80bf..ab8361ac 100644
--- a/ilcsoft/edm4hep.py
+++ b/ilcsoft/edm4hep.py
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ def __init__(self, userInput):
         self.download.gituser = 'key4hep'
         self.download.gitrepo = 'edm4hep'
 
-        self.reqfiles = [ ["install/lib/libedm4hep.so", "install/lib/libedm4hep.dylib" ]]
+        self.reqfiles = [["install/lib/libedm4hep.so",
+                          "install/lib64/libedm4hep.so",
+                          "install/lib/libedm4hep.dylib"]]
 
         self.reqmodules = [ "podio" ]
 #        self.optmodules = [ "SIO" ]
@@ -63,4 +65,6 @@ def compile(self):
     def postCheckDeps(self):
         BaseILC.postCheckDeps(self)
 
-        self.env[ 'edm4hep_DIR' ] = self.installPath + "/install/lib/cmake/EDM4HEP"
+        self.env['EDM4HEP_DIR'] = self.installPath + "/install"
+        self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append("$EDM4HEP_DIR/lib")
+        self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append("$EDM4HEP_DIR/lib64")
diff --git a/ilcsoft/ilcsoft.py b/ilcsoft/ilcsoft.py
index f5ad2b12..518a2a25 100644
--- a/ilcsoft/ilcsoft.py
+++ b/ilcsoft/ilcsoft.py
@@ -434,6 +434,10 @@ def makeinstall(self):
         # export Python in PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH
         f.write( 'export PATH='+py_path+'/bin:${PATH}' + os.linesep  )
         f.write( 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH='+py_path+'/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}' + os.linesep  + os.linesep )
+        # copy the PYTHONPATH verbatim from the build setup if it is set
+        python_path = os.getenv('PYTHONPATH')
+        if python_path:
+            f.write('export PYTHONPATH=' + python_path + os.linesep + os.linesep )
 
         f.write( 'export CXX=' + compiler + os.linesep )
         ccompiler = self.env["CC"]
diff --git a/ilcsoft/podio.py b/ilcsoft/podio.py
index 7c0ef295..3389ce00 100644
--- a/ilcsoft/podio.py
+++ b/ilcsoft/podio.py
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ def __init__(self, userInput):
         self.download.gituser = 'AIDASoft'
         self.download.gitrepo = 'podio'
 
-        self.reqfiles = [ ["install/lib/libpodio.so", "install/lib/libpodio.dylib" ]]
+        self.reqfiles = [["install/lib/libpodio.so",
+                          "install/lib64/libpodio.so",
+                          "install/lib/libpodio.dylib"]]
 
         self.reqmodules = [ "ROOT" ]
         self.optmodules = [ "SIO" ]
@@ -63,4 +65,7 @@ def compile(self):
     def postCheckDeps(self):
         BaseILC.postCheckDeps(self)
 
-        self.env[ 'podio_DIR' ] = self.installPath + "/install/lib/cmake/podio"
+        self.env['podio_DIR'] = self.installPath + "/install"
+        self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append("$podio_DIR/lib")
+        self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append("$podio_DIR/lib64")
+        self.envpath["PYTHONPATH"].append("$podio_DIR/python")
diff --git a/ilcsoft/root.py b/ilcsoft/root.py
index 070acc73..17296df4 100644
--- a/ilcsoft/root.py
+++ b/ilcsoft/root.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 ##################################################
                                                                                                                                                             
 # custom imports
+import os
 from .baseilc import BaseILC
 from .util import *
 
@@ -131,6 +132,14 @@ def compile(self):
 
 
 
+        if self.version > "6.19.0":
+            # Need to symlink two cmake scripts that are not installed properly
+            # otherwise and would break packages that depend on ROOT
+            for mod in ['RootMacros.cmake', 'RootTestDriver.cmake']:
+                link_path = os.path.join(self.installPath, 'cmake', mod)
+                src = os.path.join(self.installPath, 'cmake', 'modules', mod)
+                os.symlink(src, link_path)
+
     def postCheckDeps(self):
         BaseILC.postCheckDeps(self)
         # Required for LCIO installation.
diff --git a/ilcsoft/sio.py b/ilcsoft/sio.py
index 8ebf4812..9b217ed7 100644
--- a/ilcsoft/sio.py
+++ b/ilcsoft/sio.py
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ def postCheckDeps(self):
         if self.installPath != "/usr":
             self.envpath["PATH"].append( "$SIO_DIR/bin" )
             self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append( "$SIO_DIR/lib" )
-
+            self.envpath["LD_LIBRARY_PATH"].append( "$SIO_DIR/lib64" )
diff --git a/releases/HEAD/release-ilcsoft.cfg b/releases/HEAD/release-ilcsoft.cfg
index d6113d5c..4e65b6db 100644
--- a/releases/HEAD/release-ilcsoft.cfg
+++ b/releases/HEAD/release-ilcsoft.cfg
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ path_where_this_file_lives = os.path.dirname( config_file )
 versions_file = os.path.join( path_where_this_file_lives, "release-versions-HEAD.py" )
 exec(compile(open(versions_file, "rb").read(), versions_file, "exec"))
 
-print "Do we install nightlies? ", nightlies
+print("Do we install nightlies? ", nightlies)
 
 # installation directory
 if not 'ilcsoft_install_dir' in dir():
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ ilcsoft.envcmake["Boost_NO_BOOST_CMAKE"] = 'ON'
 #
 
 # ----- build and install documentation -------------
-ilcsoft.envcmake["INSTALL_DOC"]="OFF"
+ilcsoft.envcmake["INSTALL_DOC"]="ON"
 
 
-ilcsoft.envcmake["CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"]= "Debug"
-#ilcsoft.envcmake["CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"]= "RelWithDebInfo"
+# ilcsoft.envcmake["CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"]= "Debug"
+ilcsoft.envcmake["CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"]= "RelWithDebInfo"
 ilcsoft.downloadType = "GitHub"
 #ilcsoft.downloadType = "svn-desy"
 
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ ilcsoft.install( MarlinReco( MarlinReco_version ))
 ilcsoft.module("MarlinReco").envcmake["MARLINRECO_FORTRAN"]='OFF'  
 
 ilcsoft.install( PandoraAnalysis( PandoraAnalysis_version ))
+# Until https://github.com/PandoraPFA/LCPandoraAnalysis/pull/17 is merged
+ilcsoft.module("PandoraAnalysis").envcmake["INSTALL_DOC"] = "OFF"
 
 ilcsoft.install( PandoraPFANew( PandoraPFANew_version ))
 
diff --git a/releases/HEAD/release-versions-HEAD.py b/releases/HEAD/release-versions-HEAD.py
index e2f228fd..09da4b92 100644
--- a/releases/HEAD/release-versions-HEAD.py
+++ b/releases/HEAD/release-versions-HEAD.py
@@ -13,14 +13,6 @@
 ilcsoft_release='HEAD-'+today
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#-----------------------
-# we now always build with c++11 ?
-# This variable is deprecated and replaced by cxx_standard
-# use_cpp11 = False
-# if nightlies:
-#    use_cpp11 = nb_use_cpp11
-#    print "******************* use_cpp11", use_cpp11
-
 # which cxx standard to use
 cxx_standard = 17
 
@@ -31,18 +23,23 @@
     pass
 
 #===============================================================================
-# use a compiler that knows c++11, run
+# use a compiler that knows c++17, run
 #
 '''
- source /afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/contrib/gcc/4.9.3/x86_64-slc6/setup.sh
- export PATH=/afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/releases/LCG_87/Python/2.7.10/x86_64-slc6-gcc49-opt/bin:$PATH
- export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/releases/LCG_87/Python/2.7.10/x86_64-slc6-gcc49-opt/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+# --- gcc from LCG_101
+source /cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/gcc/10.3.0/x86_64-centos7/setup.sh
+
+# --- python from LCG_101
+export PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/Python/3.9.6-b0f98/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/bin:${PATH}
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/Python/3.9.6-b0f98/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+export PYTHONPATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/views/LCG_101/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/lib/python3.9/site-packages
 
-# or on cvmfs:
+# --- git from LCG_101
+export PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/git/2.29.2-e475b/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/bin:${PATH}
+export GIT_EXEC_PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/git/2.29.2-e475b/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/libexec/git-core
 
- source /cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/contrib/gcc/4.9.3/x86_64-slc6/setup.sh
- export PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/LCG_87/Python/2.7.10/x86_64-slc6-gcc49-opt/bin:$PATH
- export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/LCG_87/Python/2.7.10/x86_64-slc6-gcc49-opt/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+# --- use a suitable mysql (also LCG_101)
+export MYSQL_DIR=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/mysql/10.4.20-c0154/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt
 '''
 # before starting the installation
 #================================================================================
@@ -112,7 +109,7 @@
    platfDefault = '/usr/local'
 
 # ----- mysql --------------------------------------------------------
-MySQL_version = "5.0.45"
+MySQL_version = "10.4.20"
 MySQL_path = platfDefault
 
 # overwrite with a patch set in the environment
diff --git a/scripts/use_gcc103_cvmfs_centos7.sh b/scripts/use_gcc103_cvmfs_centos7.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd9d33d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/use_gcc103_cvmfs_centos7.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# --- gcc from LCG_101
+source /cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/gcc/10.3.0/x86_64-centos7/setup.sh
+
+# --- python from LCG_101
+export PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/Python/3.9.6-b0f98/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/bin:${PATH}
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/Python/3.9.6-b0f98/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+export PYTHONPATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/views/LCG_101/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/lib/python3.9/site-packages
+
+# --- git from LCG_101
+export PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/git/2.29.2-e475b/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/bin:${PATH}
+export GIT_EXEC_PATH=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/git/2.29.2-e475b/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt/libexec/git-core
+
+# --- use a suitable mysql (also LCG_101)
+export MYSQL_DIR=/cvmfs/sft.cern.ch/lcg/releases/mysql/10.4.20-c0154/x86_64-centos7-gcc10-opt