diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0a47c577..445b6c04 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ generated
 *.orig
 
 msi/build
+venv/
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1ec5a3ed..fd021b7d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Run `make setup` to install (most of the) necessary tools.  Alternatively you ca
 * debhelper
 * rpm
 * expect
-* createrepo
+* createrepo-c
 * ruby
   * net-sftp  (`gem install net-sftp`)
 * maven
diff --git a/deb/build/debian/rules b/deb/build/debian/rules
index 2d33f6ac..24555460 100755
--- a/deb/build/debian/rules
+++ b/deb/build/debian/rules
@@ -2,3 +2,8 @@
 
 %:
 	dh $@
+
+# debian doesn't support the zstd compression which is the default on Ubuntu
+# see https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=892664
+override_dh_builddeb:
+	dh_builddeb -- -Zxz
diff --git a/rpm/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec b/rpm/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
index fc87674d..b9c6f8fc 100644
--- a/rpm/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
+++ b/rpm/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ BuildRoot:	%{_tmppath}/build-%{name}-%{version}
 # TODO: If re-enable, fix the matcher for Java 11
 # Requires: java >= 1:1.8.0
 Requires: procps
-PreReq: /usr/sbin/groupadd /usr/sbin/useradd
+Requires(pre): /usr/sbin/useradd, /usr/sbin/groupadd
 BuildArch: noarch
 
 %description
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ rm -rf "%{buildroot}"
 %__install -D -m0755 "%{SOURCE6}" "%{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/migrate"
 
 %pre
-/usr/sbin/groupadd -r %{name} &>/dev/null || :
+/usr/bin/getent group %{name} &>/dev/null || /usr/sbin/groupadd -r %{name} &>/dev/null
 # SUSE version had -o here, but in Fedora -o isn't allowed without -u
-/usr/sbin/useradd -g %{name} -s /bin/false -r -c "@@SUMMARY@@" \
-	-d "%{workdir}" %{name} &>/dev/null || :
+/usr/bin/getent passwd %{name} &>/dev/null || /usr/sbin/useradd -g %{name} -s /bin/false -r -c "@@SUMMARY@@" \
+	-d "%{workdir}" %{name} &>/dev/null
 
   # Used to decide later if we should perform a chown in case JENKINS_INSTALL_SKIP_CHOWN is false
   # Check if a previous installation exists, if so check the JENKINS_HOME value and existing owners of work, log and cache dir, need to to this check
diff --git a/rpm/publish/publish.sh b/rpm/publish/publish.sh
index 7ec3d163..4ae3a1d2 100755
--- a/rpm/publish/publish.sh
+++ b/rpm/publish/publish.sh
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ EOF
 	# generate index
 	# locally
 	# disable this for now, as it's currently now used and generate errors
-	# createrepo --update -o "$RPM_WEBDIR" "$RPMDIR/"
+	# createrepo_c --update -o "$RPM_WEBDIR" "$RPMDIR/"
 	# on the server
 	# shellcheck disable=SC2029
-	ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$PKGSERVER" createrepo --update -o "'$RPM_WEBDIR'" "'$RPMDIR/'"
+	ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$PKGSERVER" createrepo_c --update -o "'$RPM_WEBDIR'" "'$RPMDIR/'"
 }
 
 function skipIfAlreadyPublished() {
diff --git a/rpm/setup.sh b/rpm/setup.sh
index 00a1e9bb..deff74e8 100755
--- a/rpm/setup.sh
+++ b/rpm/setup.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash -eux
 
-sudo apt-get install -y rpm expect createrepo || true
+sudo apt-get install -y rpm expect createrepo-c || true
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/suse/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec b/suse/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
index 763dca21..e2284009 100644
--- a/suse/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
+++ b/suse/build/SPECS/jenkins.spec
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ BuildRoot:	%{_tmppath}/build-%{name}-%{version}
 # TODO: Fix the query for Java 11 if it is reenabled
 # Requires: java >= 1:1.8.0
 Requires:	procps
-PreReq:		/usr/sbin/groupadd /usr/sbin/useradd
+Requires(pre): /usr/sbin/useradd, /usr/sbin/groupadd
 #PreReq:		%{fillup_prereq}
 BuildArch:	noarch
 
@@ -71,10 +71,10 @@ rm -rf "%{buildroot}"
 %__install -D -m0755 "%{SOURCE7}" "%{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/migrate"
 
 %pre
-/usr/sbin/groupadd -r %{name} &>/dev/null || :
+/usr/bin/getent group %{name} &>/dev/null || /usr/sbin/groupadd -r %{name} &>/dev/null
 # SUSE version had -o here, but in Fedora -o isn't allowed without -u
-/usr/sbin/useradd -g %{name} -s /bin/false -r -c "@@SUMMARY@@" \
-	-d "%{workdir}" %{name} &>/dev/null || :
+/usr/bin/getent passwd %{name} &>/dev/null || /usr/sbin/useradd -g %{name} -s /bin/false -r -c "@@SUMMARY@@" \
+	-d "%{workdir}" %{name} &>/dev/null
 
 %post
 %{_datadir}/%{name}/migrate "/etc/sysconfig/%{name}" || true
diff --git a/suse/publish/publish.sh b/suse/publish/publish.sh
index 22b3e4fc..422b8d34 100755
--- a/suse/publish/publish.sh
+++ b/suse/publish/publish.sh
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ function uploadSite() {
 		. "$PKGSERVER:${SUSE_WEBDIR// /\\ }/" # Remote
 
 	# generate index on the server
-	# server needs 'createrepo' pacakge
+	# server needs 'createrepo_c' pacakge
 	# Disable this for now as not critical
-	# createrepo --update -o "$SUSE_WEBDIR" "$SUSEDIR/" #Local
+	# createrepo_c --update -o "$SUSE_WEBDIR" "$SUSEDIR/" #Local
 	# cp "${SUSE_WEBDIR// /\\ }/repodata/repomd.xml" repodata/ # Local
 
 	# shellcheck disable=SC2029
-	ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$PKGSERVER" createrepo --update -o "'$SUSE_WEBDIR'" "'$SUSEDIR/'" # Remote
+	ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$PKGSERVER" createrepo_c --update -o "'$SUSE_WEBDIR'" "'$SUSEDIR/'" # Remote
 
 	scp \
 		"${SCP_OPTS[@]}" \