diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml b/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
index 860ba57..19fd0f4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
@@ -105,15 +105,15 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
-          # x86_64 tests: run against CentOS 7 and 8 with the linux-64 installer
+          # x86_64 tests: run against varous EL versions with the linux-64 installer
           - os: ubuntu-latest
-            docker_image: centos:7
+            docker_image: almalinux:8
             installer: installer-linux-64
           - os: ubuntu-latest
-            docker_image: centos:8
+            docker_image: almalinux:9
             installer: installer-linux-64
           - os: ubuntu-latest
-            docker_image: almalinux:9
+            docker_image: almalinux:10
             installer: installer-linux-64
           # ARM tests: run only AlmaLinux 9 tests with the linux-aarch64 installer
           - os: ubuntu-24.04-arm
diff --git a/construct.yaml b/construct.yaml
index 3c1637a..d898be1 100644
--- a/construct.yaml
+++ b/construct.yaml
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ specs:
   - fts3 >=3.12
   - nordugrid-arc >=6.21 # [not osx]
   - python-gfal2 >=1.13.0
-  - htcondor-utils >=24.2 # [linux]
-  - python-htcondor >=24.2 # [linux]
+  - htcondor-utils ~=25.0.0 # [linux]
+  - python-htcondor ~=25.0.0 # [linux]
   - rucio-clients >=36.0.0
   - voms >=2.1.0rc3
   # Others
diff --git a/pixi.toml b/pixi.toml
index 114ac53..a80b6c9 100644
--- a/pixi.toml
+++ b/pixi.toml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ default = { features = [], solve-group = "default" }
 release = { features = ["release"], no-default-feature = true }
 
 [target.linux-64.activation.env]
-CONDA_OVERRIDE_GLIBC = "2.17"
+CONDA_OVERRIDE_GLIBC = "2.28"
 
 [target.linux-aarch64.activation.env]
 CONDA_OVERRIDE_GLIBC = "2.28"
diff --git a/scripts/run_basic_tests.sh b/scripts/run_basic_tests.sh
index 8779c69..6d678f9 100755
--- a/scripts/run_basic_tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_basic_tests.sh
@@ -18,8 +18,19 @@ exec docker run --rm --privileged -v "${PWD}":/diracos-repo "${IMAGE_NAME}" bash
   mkdir "${install_home}"
   chown tester:tester "${install_home}"
   chmod 500 "${install_home}"
-  runuser -u tester -- env HOME="${install_home}" \
-    bash -c "cd \"${workdir}\" && bash /diracos-repo/'"${DIRACOS_INSTALLER}"'"
+
+  install_cmd="env HOME=\"${install_home}\" bash -c \"cd \\\"${workdir}\\\" && bash /diracos-repo/'"${DIRACOS_INSTALLER}"'\""
+  if command -v runuser >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    runuser -u tester -- bash -c "${install_cmd}"
+  elif command -v su >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    su -s /bin/bash tester -c "${install_cmd}"
+  elif command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    sudo -u tester bash -c "${install_cmd}"
+  else
+    echo "Neither runuser, su, nor sudo is available in the container" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   # Restore normal permissions for the post-install test suite (singularity
   # user-namespace mapping cannot traverse tester-owned dirs).
   chown -R root:root "${workdir}"