diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a4dd94df..94c43ad7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [3.10.8, 3.11, 3.12]
         install_variant: ["pip"]
         include:
-        - python-version: 3.10.8
-          install_variant: "rpm.fedora.34"
-        - python-version: 3.7
-          install_variant: "deb.ubuntu.focal"
+          - python-version: 3.12
+            install_variant: "rpm.fedora.40"
+          - python-version: 3.12
+            install_variant: "deb.ubuntu.noble"
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
           # vncdotool
           sudo apt-get -y install xfonts-base x11vnc
           # pyautogui
-          sudo apt-get -y install scrot
+          sudo apt-get -y install gnome-screenshot
         if: matrix.install_variant == 'pip'
       - name: Install any dependencies and build the package
         run: pip --default-timeout=60 install -r packaging/pip_requirements.txt
@@ -74,13 +74,14 @@ jobs:
           sleep 3
       - name: Run current semi-isolation semi-integration tests (to be separated in the future)
         run: |
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.python-version }} == '3.10.8' ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.python-version }} == '3.11' ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.python-version }} == '3.12' ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.install_variant }} != "pip" ]]; then cd packaging && bash packager_docker.sh;
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.python-version }}" == "3.10.8" ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.python-version }}" == "3.11" ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.python-version }}" == "3.12" ]]; then export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1; fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.install_variant }}" != "pip" ]]; then cd packaging && bash packager_docker.sh;
           else cd tests && bash coverage_analysis.sh; fi
         env:
           INSTALL_VARIANT: ${{ matrix.install_variant }}
+          TESSDATA_PREFIX: /usr/share/tesseract-ocr/4.00/tessdata/
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         uses: codecov/codecov-action@v3
         with:
diff --git a/packaging/packager_deb.sh b/packaging/packager_deb.sh
index 0fd33adf..263f67e5 100644
--- a/packaging/packager_deb.sh
+++ b/packaging/packager_deb.sh
@@ -5,46 +5,58 @@ readonly distro="${DISTRO:-ubuntu}"
 readonly distro_version="${VERSION:-xenial}"
 readonly distro_root="${ROOT:-$HOME}"
 
-# deb dependencies
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
 apt-get update
-# python3
-apt-get -y install python3 python3-coverage
-# python-imaging
-apt-get -y install python3-pil
-# pip dependencies (for dependencies not available as DEB)
+echo "------------- python3 -------------"
+apt-get -y install python3 python3-venv
+echo "----- pip dependencies (for dependencies not available as DEB) -----"
 apt-get -y install gcc libx11-dev libxtst-dev python3-dev libpng-dev python3-pip
+echo "----- create a venv to use that as the python env (needed for python 3.12 compatibility specific to Ubuntu) -----"
+python3 -m venv docker_venv --system-site-packages
+source docker_venv/bin/activate
+echo "------------- upgrade pip -------------"
 pip3 install --upgrade pip
-# contour, template, feature, cascade, text matching
+echo "------------ install coverage ------------"
+pip3 install coverage
+
+echo "------------- python-imaging -------------"
+apt-get -y install python3-pil
+
+echo "------------- contour, template, feature, and cascade matching -------------"
 apt-get -y install python3-numpy
 if [[ $distro_version == "xenial" ]]; then
     export DISABLE_OPENCV=1
 else
     apt-get -y install python3-opencv
 fi
-# text matching
+
+echo "------------- text matching -------------"
 if [[ $distro_version == "xenial" ]]; then
     export DISABLE_OCR=1
 else
     apt-get -y install tesseract-ocr libtesseract-dev
     apt-get -y install g++ pkg-config
-    pip3 install pytesseract==0.3.4 tesserocr==2.5.1
+    pip3 install pytesseract==0.3.13 tesserocr==2.7.1
+fi
+
+echo "------------- deep learning -------------"
+pip3 install torch==2.2.0 torchvision==0.17.0
+
+echo "------------- display controlling -------------"
+if [[ -n "$DISABLE_AUTOPY" && "$DISABLE_AUTOPY" == "1" ]]; then
+    export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1
+else
+    pip3 install autopy
 fi
-# deep learning
-pip3 install torch==1.8.1 torchvision==0.9.1
-# screen controlling
-pip3 install autopy==4.0.0
-# TODO: vncdotool doesn't control its Twisted which doesn't control its "incremental" dependency
-pip3 install incremental==22.10.0
 pip3 install vncdotool==0.12.0
 apt-get -y install xdotool x11-apps imagemagick
-apt-get -y install python3-tk scrot
-# TODO: install PyScreeze separately to replace the one PyAutoGUI will install which is incompatible with the current Pillow version 
-pip3 install pyscreeze==0.1.28
-pip3 install pyautogui==0.9.53
+# NOTE: Must install tkinter here to use MouseInfo
+apt-get -y install python3-tk
+apt-get -y install gnome-screenshot
+pip3 install pyautogui==0.9.54
 apt-get -y install x11vnc
 
-# deb packaging and installing of current guibot source
+echo "------------- deb packaging and installing of current guibot source -------------"
 apt-get -y install dh-make dh-python debhelper python3-all devscripts
 NAME=$(sed -n 's/^Package:[ \t]*//p' "$distro_root/guibot/packaging/debian/control")
 CHANGELOG_REVS=($(sed -n -e 's/^guibot[ \t]*(\([0-9]*.[0-9]*\)-[0-9]*).*/\1/p' "$distro_root/guibot/packaging/debian/changelog"))
@@ -56,7 +68,7 @@ cp ../${NAME}_${VERSION}*.deb "$distro_root/guibot"
 apt-get -y install "$distro_root/guibot/"${NAME}_${VERSION}*.deb
 rm -fr "$distro_root/$NAME-$VERSION"
 
-# virtual display
+echo "------------- virtual display -------------"
 apt-get -y install xvfb vim-common
 export DISPLAY=:99.0
 Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x24 &> /tmp/xvfb.log  &
@@ -64,12 +76,20 @@ touch /root/.Xauthority
 xauth add ${HOST}:99 . $(xxd -l 16 -p /dev/urandom)
 sleep 3  # give xvfb some time to start
 
-# unit tests
+echo " -------- set tesseract data environment -------- "
+export TESSDATA_PREFIX="/usr/share/tesseract-ocr/5/tessdata"
+echo "Tesseract data prefix: $TESSDATA_PREFIX"
+
+echo "------------ dump for environment variables and python path ------------"
+printenv
+python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.prefix)"
+
+echo "------------- unit tests -------------"
 apt-get install -y python3-pyqt5
 export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="/tmp/runtime-root"
 mkdir /tmp/runtime-root
 chmod 0700 /tmp/runtime-root
 cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/guibot/tests
-LIBPATH=".." COVERAGE="python3-coverage" sh coverage_analysis.sh
+LIBPATH=".." COVERAGE="coverage" sh coverage_analysis.sh
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/packaging/packager_docker.sh b/packaging/packager_docker.sh
index 9d700e08..8461707a 100644
--- a/packaging/packager_docker.sh
+++ b/packaging/packager_docker.sh
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ readonly version=$(echo $install_variant | cut -d '.' -f 3)
 
 if [ "$packager" == "rpm" ]; then
     sudo docker run \
-            -e DISTRO="$distro" -e VERSION="$version" -e ROOT="/" \
+            -e DISTRO="$distro" -e VERSION="$version" -e ROOT="/" -e DISABLE_AUTOPY="1" \
             -v $(pwd)/..:/guibot:rw $distro:$version \
             /bin/bash /guibot/packaging/packager_rpm.sh
 elif [ "$packager" == "deb" ]; then
     sudo docker run \
-            -e DISTRO="$distro" -e VERSION="$version" -e ROOT="/" \
+            -e DISTRO="$distro" -e VERSION="$version" -e ROOT="/" -e DISABLE_AUTOPY="1" \
             -v $(pwd)/..:/guibot:rw $distro:$version \
             /bin/bash /guibot/packaging/packager_deb.sh
 fi
diff --git a/packaging/packager_rpm.sh b/packaging/packager_rpm.sh
index 15646b7f..db63e7de 100644
--- a/packaging/packager_rpm.sh
+++ b/packaging/packager_rpm.sh
@@ -5,40 +5,43 @@ readonly distro="${DISTRO:-fedora}"
 readonly distro_version="${VERSION:-30}"
 readonly distro_root="${ROOT:-$HOME}"
 
-# rpm dependencies
-# python3
-dnf -y install python3 python3-coverage
-# python-imaging
+dnf -y update
+echo "------------- python3 -------------"
+dnf -y install python3 python3-coverage python3-devel
+echo "------------- python-imaging -------------"
 dnf -y install python3-pillow
-# pip dependencies (for dependencies not available as RPM)
+echo "-------------  pip dependencies (for dependencies not available as RPM) -------------"
 dnf -y install gcc libX11-devel libXtst-devel python3-devel libpng-devel python3-pip redhat-rpm-config
+echo "------------- upgrade pip  -------------"
 pip3 install --upgrade pip
-# contour, template, feature, cascade, text matching
+
+echo "------------- contour, template, feature, and cascade matching -------------"
 dnf -y install python3-numpy python3-opencv
-# text matching
+
+echo "------------- text matching -------------"
 dnf -y install tesseract tesseract-devel
 dnf -y install gcc-c++
-pip3 install pytesseract==0.3.4 tesserocr==2.5.1
-# deep learning
-pip3 install torch==1.8.1 torchvision==0.9.1
-# screen controlling
-if (( distro_version <= 32 )); then
-    pip3 install autopy==4.0.0
-else
+pip3 install pytesseract==0.3.13 tesserocr==2.7.1
+
+echo "------------- deep learning -------------"
+dnf -y install python3-torch python3-torch-devel
+# TODO: python3-torchvision version available is broken (no module found)
+pip3 install torchvision==0.17.0
+
+echo "------------- display controlling -------------"
+if [[ -n "$DISABLE_AUTOPY" && "$DISABLE_AUTOPY" == "1" && $distro_version -gt 32 ]]; then
     export DISABLE_AUTOPY=1
+else
+    pip3 install autopy
 fi
-# TODO: vncdotool doesn't control its Twisted which doesn't control its "incremental" dependency
-pip3 install incremental==22.10.0
 pip3 install vncdotool==0.12.0
 dnf -y install xdotool xwd ImageMagick
-# NOTE: PyAutoGUI's scrot dependencies are broken on Fedora 33- so we don't support these
-dnf -y install python3-tkinter scrot
-# TODO: install PyScreeze separately to replace the one PyAutoGUI will install which is incompatible with the current Pillow version
-pip3 install pyscreeze==0.1.28
-pip3 install pyautogui==0.9.53
+# NOTE: No need for installing tkinter here because it's a dependency from torch (it is installed with it)
+dnf -y install gnome-screenshot
+pip3 install pyautogui==0.9.54
 dnf -y install x11vnc
 
-# rpm packaging and installing of current guibot source
+echo "------ rpm packaging and installing of current guibot source ------"
 dnf -y install rpm-build
 NAME=$(sed -n 's/^Name:[ \t]*//p' "$distro_root/guibot/packaging/guibot.spec")
 VERSION=$(sed -n 's/^Version:[ \t]*//p' "$distro_root/guibot/packaging/guibot.spec")
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ cp ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64/python3-$NAME-$VERSION*.rpm "$distro_root/guibot"
 dnf -y install "$distro_root/guibot/python3-"$NAME-$VERSION*.rpm
 rm -fr "$distro_root/$NAME-$VERSION"
 
-# virtual display
+echo "------------- virtual display -------------"
 dnf install -y xorg-x11-server-Xvfb vim-common
 export DISPLAY=:99.0
 Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x24 &> /tmp/xvfb.log  &
@@ -58,7 +61,15 @@ touch /root/.Xauthority
 xauth add ${HOST}:99 . $(xxd -l 16 -p /dev/urandom)
 sleep 3  # give xvfb some time to start
 
-# unit tests
+echo " -------- set tesseract data environment variable -------- "
+export TESSDATA_PREFIX="/usr/share/tesseract/tessdata/"
+echo "Tesseract data prefix: $TESSDATA_PREFIX"
+
+echo "------------ dump for environment variables and python path ------------"
+printenv
+python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.prefix)"
+
+echo "------------- unit tests -------------"
 dnf install -y python3-PyQt5
 cd /lib/python3*/site-packages/guibot/tests
 if (( distro_version <= 30 )); then
diff --git a/packaging/pip_requirements.txt b/packaging/pip_requirements.txt
index 5a4636c0..3352ac4f 100644
--- a/packaging/pip_requirements.txt
+++ b/packaging/pip_requirements.txt
@@ -5,17 +5,15 @@ Pillow==10.3.0; python_version >= '3.12'
 # backends
 autopy==4.0.0; python_version <= '3.8' and platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 # OCR is currently not tested on Windows due to custom Tesseract OCR installers
-pytesseract==0.3.4; sys_platform != 'win32'
-tesserocr==2.5.1; sys_platform != 'win32'
+pytesseract==0.3.13; sys_platform != 'win32'
+tesserocr==2.7.1; sys_platform != 'win32'
 # TODO: OpenCV and PyTorch don't control their "numpy" dependency
 numpy==1.26.4; platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 opencv-contrib-python==4.5.5.62; platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 torch==2.2.0; 'generic' not in platform_release and platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 torchvision==0.17.0 ; 'generic' not in platform_release and platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 vncdotool==0.12.0; sys_platform != 'win32' and platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
-pyautogui==0.9.53; platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
-# NOTE: These decared version of Pillow has issues with the latest Pyscreeze 0.1.30 thus there is a restrain on Pyscreeze installation
-pyscreeze==0.1.28
+pyautogui==0.9.54; platform_python_implementation != "PyPy"
 
 # optional proxy guibot interface deps
 serpent==1.40
diff --git a/tests/coverage_analysis.sh b/tests/coverage_analysis.sh
index a6eadc9b..c5a9c333 100755
--- a/tests/coverage_analysis.sh
+++ b/tests/coverage_analysis.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ readonly libpath="${LIBPATH:-../guibot}"
 readonly coverage="${COVERAGE:-coverage3}"
 readonly submit="${SUBMIT:-0}"
 
+echo "---- running tests with $coverage ----"
 $coverage run --source="$libpath" -m unittest discover -v -s ../tests/
 # use -i to ignore errors from pythong cache files and other traced dependencies
 $coverage report -m -i
diff --git a/tests/test_finder.py b/tests/test_finder.py
index 531c83ce..73f0c397 100644
--- a/tests/test_finder.py
+++ b/tests/test_finder.py
@@ -692,6 +692,11 @@ def test_text_nomatch(self) -> None:
                 # TODO: deprecate OpenCV 3.X versions after time
                 if cv2.__version__.startswith("3.") and tdetect == "east":
                     continue
+                # TODO: OpenCV version 4.6.0 and above fails here on docker CIs (C++ exception) with tesseract
+                if ocr == "tesseract":
+                    cv_version = [int(v) for v in cv2.__version__.split(".")]
+                    if cv_version[0] >= 4 and cv_version[1] >= 6:
+                        continue
 
                 finder.configure_backend(tdetect, "tdetect")
                 finder.configure_backend(ocr, "ocr")