diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_nix.yml b/.github/workflows/build_nix.yml
index 37e789251..87250f3b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_nix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_nix.yml
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ on:
 env:
   MKN_COMPILE_THREADS: 2
   MKN_GCC_PREFERRED: 1
-  MKN_PYTHON_LIB_EMBED: 1
-  MKN_LIB_LINK_LIB: 1
   KLOG: 3
 
 jobs:
@@ -47,8 +45,10 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: pip # tensorflow not released for 3.12 as of 26-OCT-2023
       run: |
-        python3 -m pip install wheel pip --upgrade
-        python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt
+        python3 -V
+        python3 -m pip install -U pip
+        python3 -m pip install -U build twine wheel setuptools
+        python3 -m pip install -U -r requirements.txt
         [ "${{ matrix.python-version }}" != "3.12" ] && python3 -m pip install tensorflow-cpu
 
     - name: build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_osx.yml b/.github/workflows/build_osx.yml
index c6f138698..184e47486 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_osx.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_osx.yml
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ on:
 
 env:
   MKN_COMPILE_THREADS: 2
-  MKN_LIB_LINK_LIB: 1
-  MKN_PYTHON_LIB_EMBED: 1
   KLOG: 3
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge_master.yaml b/.github/workflows/merge_master.yaml
index 66ec44a7c..9aa341f4e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge_master.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge_master.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ on:
 env:
   MKN_COMPILE_THREADS: 2
   MKN_GCC_PREFERRED: 1
-  MKN_LIB_LINK_LIB: 1
   KLOG: 3
 
 jobs:
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       max-parallel: 4
       matrix:
-        python-version: ['cp39-cp39', 'cp310-cp310', 'cp311-cp311', 'cp312-cp312']
+        python-version: ['cp311-cp311', 'cp312-cp312']
 
     steps:
       - name: add Python dir to path
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ jobs:
       max-parallel: 4
       matrix:
         os: [windows-latest]
-        python-version: ['3.10', '3.11', '3.12']
+        python-version: ['3.11', '3.12']
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
diff --git a/lib/mkn.yaml b/lib/mkn.yaml
index 41431504f..defa771bd 100644
--- a/lib/mkn.yaml
+++ b/lib/mkn.yaml
@@ -22,44 +22,47 @@ property:
 
 
 profile:
-  - name: arg
-    arg: ${cargs}
-    inc:
-      ./include
-      ./third_party/cereal/include
-    if_arg:
-      win: ${win_cargs}
-      nix: ${nixish_cargs}
-      bsd: ${nixish_cargs}
-    if_link:
-      nix_lib: ${nix_largs}
-      bsd_lib: ${bsd_largs}
-      win: -LTCG
-    mod: |
-      lang.python3{compile:{with: numpy}, link:{delete: CoreFoundation -framework }}
+- name: arg
+  arg: ${cargs}
+  inc:
+    ./include
+    ./third_party/cereal/include
+  if_arg:
+    win: ${win_cargs}
+    nix: ${nixish_cargs}
+    bsd: ${nixish_cargs}
+  if_link:
+    nix_lib: ${nix_largs}
+    bsd_lib: ${bsd_largs}
+    win: -LTCG
+  mod: |
+    lang.python3{compile:{with: numpy}, link:{delete: CoreFoundation -framework }}
 
-  - name: tick.py
-    parent: arg
-    src: cpp swig/tick
-    install: ${lib_path}/tick_cpp
-    out: _tick_cpp
-    arg: -DBUILDING_DLL
-    mod:
-    - name: lang.swig
-      compile:
-        inc: include swig
-        src: swig/tick/module.i
-        outdir: ../tick/tick_cpp
-        objfile: tick_module_wrap.cpp
+- name: tick.py
+  parent: arg
+  src: cpp swig/tick
+  install: ${lib_path}/tick_cpp
+  out: _tick_cpp
+  arg: -DBUILDING_DLL
+  mod:
+  - name: lang.swig
+    compile:
+      inc: include swig
+      src: swig/tick/module.i
+      outdir: ../tick/tick_cpp
+      objfile: tick_module_wrap.cpp
+  env: |
+    MKN_LIB_LINK_LIB=1
+    MKN_PYTHON_LIB_EMBED=1
 
-  - name: gtest_lib
-    parent: arg
-    arg: -DBUILDING_DLL
-    src: cpp
+- name: gtest_lib
+  parent: arg
+  arg: -DBUILDING_DLL
+  src: cpp
 
-  - name: gtest
-    parent: arg
-    self: gtest_lib
-    dep: google.test
-    arg: -DGTEST_LINKED_AS_SHARED_LIBRARY -DADD_MAIN
-    # run: find lib/cpp-test -name "*gtest.cpp"
+- name: gtest
+  parent: arg
+  self: gtest_lib
+  dep: google.test
+  arg: -DGTEST_LINKED_AS_SHARED_LIBRARY -DADD_MAIN
+  # run: find lib/cpp-test -name "*gtest.cpp"