diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_gcc14.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_gcc14.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index fb286887a9..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_gcc14.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,76 +0,0 @@
-name: GCC 14
-on:
-  pull_request:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - 'devel'
-
-
-jobs:
-  build:
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-24.04]
-        cpu: [amd64]
-    name: '${{ matrix.os }}'
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
-    timeout-minutes: 60 # refs bug #18178
-    steps:
-      - name: 'Checkout'
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 2
-
-      - name: 'Install node.js 20.x'
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: '20.x'
-
-      - name: 'Install dependencies (Linux amd64)'
-        if: runner.os == 'Linux' && matrix.cpu == 'amd64'
-        run: |
-          sudo apt update -qq
-          sudo apt remove needrestart
-          DEBIAN_FRONTEND='noninteractive' \
-            sudo apt install --no-install-recommends -yq \
-              libcurl4-openssl-dev libgc-dev libsdl1.2-dev libsfml-dev \
-              valgrind libc6-dbg libblas-dev xorg-dev
-      - name: 'Install dependencies (Linux amd64 gcc 14)'
-        if: runner.os == 'Linux' && matrix.cpu == 'amd64'
-        run: |
-          sudo add-apt-repository universe
-          sudo apt update -qq
-          sudo apt install -y gcc-14 g++-14 libpcre3 liblapack-dev
-          sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-14 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-14
-      - name: 'Install dependencies (macOS)'
-        if: runner.os == 'macOS'
-        run: brew install boehmgc make sfml gtk+3
-      - name: 'Install dependencies (Windows)'
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          set -e
-          . ci/funs.sh
-          nimInternalInstallDepsWindows
-          echo_run echo "${{ github.workspace }}/dist/mingw64/bin" >> "${GITHUB_PATH}"
-
-      - name: 'Add build binaries to PATH'
-        shell: bash
-        run: echo "${{ github.workspace }}/bin" >> "${GITHUB_PATH}"
-
-      - name: 'NIM_TESTAMENT_DISABLE_SSL'
-        shell: bash
-        run: echo "NIM_TESTAMENT_DISABLE_SSL=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-      - name: 'System information'
-        shell: bash
-        run: . ci/funs.sh && nimCiSystemInfo
-
-      - name: 'Build csourcesAny'
-        shell: bash
-        run: . ci/funs.sh && nimBuildCsourcesIfNeeded CC=gcc ucpu='${{ matrix.cpu }}'
-
-      - name: 'koch, Run CI'
-        shell: bash
-        run: . ci/funs.sh && nimInternalBuildKochAndRunCI
diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index f075a9c514..9696c2086d 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
   strategy:
     matrix:
       Linux_amd64:
-        vmImage: 'ubuntu-20.04'
+        vmImage: 'ubuntu-24.04'
         CPU: amd64
       # regularly breaks, refs bug #17325
 #       Linux_i386:
@@ -80,10 +80,12 @@ jobs:
     - bash: |
         set -e
         . ci/funs.sh
-        echo_run sudo apt-fast update -qq
+        echo_run sudo add-apt-repository universe
+        echo_run sudo apt-get update -qq
         DEBIAN_FRONTEND='noninteractive' \
-          echo_run sudo apt-fast install --no-install-recommends -yq \
-            libcurl4-openssl-dev libgc-dev libsdl1.2-dev libsfml-dev valgrind libc6-dbg
+          echo_run sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends -yq \
+            gcc-14 g++-14 libpcre3 liblapack-dev libpcre3 liblapack-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev libgc-dev libsdl1.2-dev libsfml-dev valgrind libc6-dbg
+        echo_run sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-14 60 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-14
       displayName: 'Install dependencies (amd64 Linux)'
       condition: and(succeeded(), eq(variables['skipci'], 'false'), eq(variables['Agent.OS'], 'Linux'), eq(variables['CPU'], 'amd64'))
 
@@ -100,15 +102,16 @@ jobs:
         Pin-Priority: 1001
         EOF
 
-        # echo_run sudo apt-fast update -qq
-        echo_run sudo apt-fast update -qq || echo "failed, see bug #17343"
+        # echo_run sudo apt-get update -qq
+        echo_run sudo apt-get update -qq || echo "failed, see bug #17343"
         # `:i386` (e.g. in `libffi-dev:i386`) is needed otherwise you may get:
         # `could not load: libffi.so` during dynamic loading.
         DEBIAN_FRONTEND='noninteractive' \
-          echo_run sudo apt-fast install --no-install-recommends --allow-downgrades -yq \
+          echo_run sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends --allow-downgrades -yq \
             g++-multilib gcc-multilib libcurl4-openssl-dev:i386 libgc-dev:i386 \
             libsdl1.2-dev:i386 libsfml-dev:i386 libglib2.0-dev:i386 libffi-dev:i386
 
+
         cat << EOF > bin/gcc
         #!/bin/bash