diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_flake_pytest_ubuntu2004.yml b/.github/workflows/build_flake_pytest_ubuntu2004.yml
index 6e0f5a6c..b762e56c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_flake_pytest_ubuntu2004.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_flake_pytest_ubuntu2004.yml
@@ -25,11 +25,12 @@ jobs:
       with:
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
     - name: Install Ubuntu python 2.7
-      if: matrix.python == '2.7'
+      if: matrix.python-version == '2.7'
       run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python2 python3-virtualenv
+          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python2 python2-dev python3-virtualenv
           virtualenv -p python2 ${HOME}/cp27
+          source ${HOME}/cp27/bin/activate
           ${HOME}/cp27/bin/python -m pip install -U pip
           ${HOME}/cp27/bin/python -m pip install -U setuptools wheel
           echo "${HOME}/cp27/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
@@ -37,12 +38,12 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install flake8 pytest
-        if [ -f requirements.txt ]; then pip install -r requirements.txt; fi
+        if [ -f requirements.txt ]; then python -m pip install -r requirements.txt; fi
         python -m pip install .
     - name: Lint with flake8
       run: |
         # stop the build if there are Python syntax errors or undefined names
-        flake8 . --count --select=E9,F63,F7,F82 --show-source --statistics --exclude="*depreciated*"
+        python -m flake8 . --count --select=E9,F63,F7,F82 --show-source --statistics --exclude="*depreciated*"
         # exit-zero treats all errors as warnings. The GitHub editor is 127 chars wide
         # flake8 . --count --exit-zero --max-complexity=10 --max-line-length=127 --statistics
     - name: Test with pytest
diff --git a/ImageD11/cImageD11.py b/ImageD11/cImageD11.py
index 8a7241cb..75abb09c 100644
--- a/ImageD11/cImageD11.py
+++ b/ImageD11/cImageD11.py
@@ -39,13 +39,15 @@ def check_multiprocessing():
     if hasattr(multiprocessing,"parent_process"):
         parent = multiprocessing.parent_process()
         # only for python 3.8 and up
-        if parent is not None:
+        if (parent is not None) and ('OMP_NUM_THREADS' not in os.environ):
             cimaged11_omp_set_num_threads( 1 ) 
         # people wanting Nprocs * Mthreads need to reset after import
-        # OMP_NUM_THREADS is not going to work for them
-        # how are we going to remember this in the future??
+        # or use OMP_NUM_THREADS as usual
     #
     # now check for the fork issue
+    if not hasattr(multiprocessing, 'get_start_method'):
+        # You are on python2.7. Give up.
+        return
     if ((multiprocessing.get_start_method(allow_none=False) == 'fork') and    # we have the problem
         (multiprocessing.get_start_method(allow_none=True) is None) and       # by accident
          ('forkserver' in multiprocessing.get_all_start_methods())):          # so fix it
diff --git a/ImageD11/sinograms/properties.py b/ImageD11/sinograms/properties.py
index fd4f2a1c..5f217eda 100755
--- a/ImageD11/sinograms/properties.py
+++ b/ImageD11/sinograms/properties.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 
 import os
 import logging
diff --git a/sandbox/sigma_3_matrices.py b/sandbox/sigma_3_matrices.py
index ca7467c0..d86fd4fc 100644
--- a/sandbox/sigma_3_matrices.py
+++ b/sandbox/sigma_3_matrices.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 
 import ImageD11.grain
 import ImageD11.grid_index_parallel
@@ -39,4 +41,4 @@ def twin_check( ind, matrices, symmetry='cubic', poserr=1000, angerr=0.5 ):
             else:
                 e = '!'
             print("%4d "%(s1), end=e)
-        print() 
\ No newline at end of file
+        print() 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7949b1a3..369ae6ec 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ def build_extension(self, ext):
     'pyyaml',
     "pytest",       # for the CI
     'numba==0.46.0 ; python_version < "3" ',       # for some test cases
+    'llvmlite==0.30.0 ; python_version < "3" ',    # for some test cases
     'numba ; python_version > "3" ',               # for some test cases
     "bslz4_to_sparse",
     "fast_histogram",
diff --git a/test/testdatasets/test_datasets.py b/test/testdatasets/test_datasets.py
index 206fbcbf..6dfeaab1 100644
--- a/test/testdatasets/test_datasets.py
+++ b/test/testdatasets/test_datasets.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
 
 import os
 import ImageD11.sinograms.dataset
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@
 def testcase(dataroot = '/data/id11/nanoscope/ihmi1452/id11',
              sample = 'WAucross',
              dset = 'H0_',
-             destination = f'/tmp/case.h5',
+             destination = '/tmp/case.h5',
              analysisroot = 'should_not_exist',
              scans= None
             ):
@@ -53,4 +54,4 @@ def testcase(dataroot = '/data/id11/nanoscope/ihmi1452/id11',
     sample = 'goldBall',
     dset = 'r2_Z071',
     scans = [ '4.1',] 
-)
\ No newline at end of file
+)