diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 1018f152..3a3f6f5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: CI Pull Request
 jobs:
   benchmark:
     name: Benchmark
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@a5ac7e51b41094c92402da3b24376905380afc29 # v4.1.6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/binaries.yml b/.github/workflows/binaries.yml
index 2d364f0f..e971f40b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/binaries.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/binaries.yml
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         job:
-          - { target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl,    os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: arm-unknown-linux-musleabi,   os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: armv7-unknown-linux-musleabi, os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: x86_64-apple-darwin,          os: macos-12                       }
+          - { target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl,    os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: arm-unknown-linux-musleabi,   os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: armv7-unknown-linux-musleabi, os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: x86_64-apple-darwin,          os: macos-14                       }
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@a5ac7e51b41094c92402da3b24376905380afc29 # v4.1.6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index e8865157..9f1a0fa8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   coverage:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     env:
       CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
     strategy:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/labeler.yml b/.github/workflows/labeler.yml
index 2a340279..1ac8a079 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/labeler.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/labeler.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: read
       pull-requests: write
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
     - uses: actions/labeler@v5
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 7500f0fc..0c5f0be4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         job:
-          - { target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu,        os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu,        os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
         toolchain:
           - stable
             # msrv of backhand-cli
@@ -62,12 +62,12 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         job:
-          - { target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl,    os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: arm-unknown-linux-musleabi,   os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: armv7-unknown-linux-musleabi, os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-latest, use-cross: true }
-          - { target: x86_64-apple-darwin,          os: macos-12                       }
+          - { target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl,    os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: arm-unknown-linux-musleabi,   os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: armv7-unknown-linux-musleabi, os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl,   os: ubuntu-24.04, use-cross: true }
+          - { target: x86_64-apple-darwin,          os: macos-14                       }
         toolchain:
           - stable
             # msrv of backhand-cli
@@ -91,13 +91,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
         with:
           toolchain: ${{ matrix.toolchain }}
+          # TODO: really only needed for the matrix variables without use-cross
+          target: ${{ matrix.job.target }}
       # build lib and bins with cross
       - run: $BUILD_CMD build ${{ matrix.features }} --target ${{ matrix.job.target }} --release --locked --workspace --features xz-static
-      # test with cross, skipping slow test and tests that use more then qemu default memory
+      # test with cross, skipping slow test and tests that use more then qemu default memory without use-cross without use-cross
       - run: CROSS_CONTAINER_OPTS="--network host" RUST_LOG=info $BUILD_CMD test --workspace --release ${{ matrix.features }} --target ${{ matrix.job.target }} --features xz-static --locked -- --skip slow --skip no_qemu
   # build/test all supported on native x86_64 arch for library and bins (all tests)
   build-test-native:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ jobs:
 
   # fmt and clippy on stable
   fmt-clippy-stable:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@a5ac7e51b41094c92402da3b24376905380afc29 # v4.1.6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/msrv.yml b/.github/workflows/msrv.yml
index 962bc25c..1e8b8692 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/msrv.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/msrv.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
 name: Check MSRV of backhand
 jobs:
   build-test-backhand:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: cargo check --locked -p backhand
 
   build-test-backhand-cli:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml b/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
index bbb575ff..a5022042 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   changelog:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
 
     permissions:
       # Give the default GITHUB_TOKEN write permission to commit and push the