diff --git a/.github/workflows/linting.yml b/.github/workflows/linting.yml
index 4bae0908c19..50fa7b74cc8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linting.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linting.yml
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   python-linting:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         python-version: 3.8
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
index 3cd95ff88de..eb5dc565fef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
@@ -10,15 +10,15 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python: [3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, '3.10', '3.11']
+        python: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, '3.10', '3.11']
         modules_tool: [Lmod-6.6.3, Lmod-7.8.22, Lmod-8.1.14, modules-tcl-1.147, modules-3.2.10, modules-4.1.4]
         module_syntax: [Lua, Tcl]
         # exclude some configuration for non-Lmod modules tool:
         # - don't test with Lua module syntax (only supported in Lmod)
-        # - don't test with Python 3.7+ (only with 3.6), to limit test configurations
+        # - don't test with Python 3.8+ (only with 3.7), to limit test configurations
         exclude:
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
             module_syntax: Lua
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ jobs:
             module_syntax: Lua
           - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
             module_syntax: Lua
-          - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
-            python: 3.7
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
             python: 3.8
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
@@ -36,8 +34,6 @@ jobs:
             python: '3.10'
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
             python: '3.11'
-          - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
-            python: 3.7
           - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
             python: 3.8
           - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
@@ -46,8 +42,6 @@ jobs:
             python: '3.10'
           - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
             python: '3.11'
-          - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
-            python: 3.7
           - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
             python: 3.8
           - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
@@ -58,10 +52,10 @@ jobs:
             python: '3.11'
       fail-fast: false
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         python-version: ${{matrix.python}}
         architecture: x64
@@ -73,11 +67,6 @@ jobs:
         # sudo apt-get update
         # for modules tool
         sudo apt-get install lua5.2 liblua5.2-dev lua-filesystem lua-posix tcl tcl-dev
-        # fix for lua-posix packaging issue, see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lua-posix/+bug/1752082
-        # needed for Ubuntu 18.04, but not for Ubuntu 20.04, so skipping symlinking if posix.so already exists
-        if [ ! -e /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lua/5.2/posix.so ] ; then
-            sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lua/5.2/posix_c.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lua/5.2/posix.so
-        fi
         # for testing OpenMPI-system*eb we need to have Open MPI installed
         sudo apt-get install libopenmpi-dev openmpi-bin
 
diff --git a/test/easyblocks/module.py b/test/easyblocks/module.py
index 026c3b35839..e7ea17844be 100644
--- a/test/easyblocks/module.py
+++ b/test/easyblocks/module.py
@@ -227,6 +227,10 @@ def test_pythonpackage_det_pylibdir(self):
     def test_pythonpackage_pick_python_cmd(self):
         """Test pick_python_cmd function from pythonpackage.py."""
         from easybuild.easyblocks.generic.pythonpackage import pick_python_cmd
+        # Install a dummy Python to use. It only needs to echo the major, minor and patch version
+        tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        for cmd in ('python2', 'python2.6'):
+            install_fake_command(cmd, "#!/bin/bash\n echo 2.6.4", tmpdir)
         self.assertTrue(pick_python_cmd() is not None)
         self.assertTrue(pick_python_cmd(2) is not None)
         self.assertTrue(pick_python_cmd(2, 6) is not None)