diff --git a/.github/workflows/smash_test_completes.yaml b/.github/workflows/smash_test_completes.yaml
index 144e0d5f..1998415d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smash_test_completes.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smash_test_completes.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-build-external.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-build-external.yaml
index 32dd345e..4618836f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-build-external.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-build-external.yaml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-build-macos-native.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-build-macos-native.yaml
index a57ef1d0..372f8119 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-build-macos-native.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-build-macos-native.yaml
@@ -28,14 +28,13 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         export NONINTERACTIVE=1
         brew update
-        brew cleanup
         brew install --formula doxygen
         brew install --formula root
         brew install --formula graph-tool
         brew install --formula hdf5
         brew install --formula open-mpi
         brew install --formula gsl
-        brew install --formula boost@1.85
+        brew install --formula boost
         brew install --formula eigen
         brew install --formula zlib
         brew install --formula gcc
@@ -119,17 +118,22 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Download Pythia 8315
       run: |
-        cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}
-        curl -SLOk http://pythia.org/download/pythia83/pythia8315.tgz
-        ls -l
+        cd "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}"
+        git clone \
+          --branch pythia8315 \
+          --single-branch \
+          --depth 1 \
+          https://gitlab.com/Pythia8/releases.git \
+          pythia8315
 
     - name: Build and Install Pythia 8315
       run: |
-        tar -xzf pythia8315.tgz
-        ls -l
-        cd pythia8315
-        ./configure --enable-shared --prefix=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pythia8315 --with-hepmc3=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/hepmc3-install
-        make
+        cd "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pythia8315"
+        ./configure \
+          --enable-shared \
+          --prefix="${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pythia8315-install" \
+          --with-hepmc3="${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/hepmc3-install"
+        make -j2
         make install
 
     - name: set more variables
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ jobs:
         echo "PYTHIA8DIR=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pythia8315" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
     - name: Checkout JETSCAPE Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -178,10 +182,10 @@ jobs:
         export OpenMP_INCLUDE_DIRS="/opt/homebrew/opt/libomp/include"
         export SMASH_DIR="${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/${REPO_NAME}/external_packages/smash/smash_code"
         export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="${EIGEN3_CMAKE_DIR}:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH"
-        BOOST_ROOT="$(brew --prefix boost@1.85)"
         echo "This is SMASH_DIR: "
         echo ${SMASH_DIR}
         ls ${SMASH_DIR}
+        BOOST_ROOT="$(brew --prefix boost)"
         cmake .. \
           -DUSE_3DGlauber=ON \
           -DUSE_MUSIC=ON \
@@ -194,12 +198,11 @@ jobs:
           -DOpenMP_CXX_LIB_NAMES=omp \
           -DOpenMP_omp_LIBRARY="$OPENMP_PREFIX/lib/libomp.dylib" \
           -DOpenMP_libomp_LIBRARY="$OPENMP_PREFIX/lib/libomp.dylib" \
-          -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$BOOST_ROOT;$EIGEN3_CMAKE_DIR" \
-          -DBoost_NO_BOOST_CMAKE=ON
+          -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$BOOST_ROOT;$EIGEN3_CMAKE_DIR"
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout Default-tunes
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/Default-tunes
         ref: main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-build-nPDF.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-build-nPDF.yaml
index 9a3cb055..b0f6a180 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-build-nPDF.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-build-nPDF.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
   
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
   
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-code-format.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-code-format.yaml
index 568755bf..23edd4bc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-code-format.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-code-format.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-PbPb.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-PbPb.yaml
index 5a0aa58e..49afee07 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-PbPb.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-PbPb.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: jetscape-4.0.2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Dat.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Dat.yaml
index 142d25e9..34034218 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Dat.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Dat.yaml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Hadron.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Hadron.yaml
index 8fe412dc..274d49ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Hadron.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Hadron.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Parton.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Parton.yaml
index 0d491898..9b06d652 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Parton.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-Pythia-Isr-Parton.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-brick.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-brick.yaml
index 0b395905..a43a0618 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-brick.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-brick.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: jetscape-4.0.2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-events-pp.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-events-pp.yaml
index c3aaf5f5..1bfcc27e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-events-pp.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-events-pp.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
 
     - name: Checkout Repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
         make -j2
 
     - name: Checkout TEST-EXAMPLES
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
         repository: JETSCAPE/TEST-EXAMPLES
         ref: jetscape-4.0.2