diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index 5a73761c573..6983eea1e9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ jobs:
         # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/managing-workflow-runs/downloading-workflow-artifacts
       - name: Upload testing logs
         if: ${{ failure() }}
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: testing-logs-${{ github.run_number }}-${{ matrix.model }}-${{ matrix.driver }}
           path: /testing-logs-${{ github.run_number}}-${{ matrix.model }}-${{ matrix.driver }}.tar.gz
diff --git a/CIME/code_checker.py b/CIME/code_checker.py
index fdc1eedefd8..08a5a021b0f 100644
--- a/CIME/code_checker.py
+++ b/CIME/code_checker.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import os
 import json
+from shutil import which
 
 from CIME.XML.standard_module_setup import *
 
@@ -19,16 +20,13 @@
 
 from multiprocessing.dummy import Pool as ThreadPool
 
-# pylint: disable=import-error
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
-
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 ###############################################################################
 def _run_pylint(all_files, interactive):
     ###############################################################################
-    pylint = find_executable("pylint")
+    pylint = which("pylint")
 
     cmd_options = (
         " --disable=I,C,R,logging-not-lazy,wildcard-import,unused-wildcard-import"
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 5a3cdb295c4..58f68286f50 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@ COPY cime.yaml /cime.yaml
 RUN mamba env update -f /cime.yaml && \
     rm -rf /opt/conda/pkgs/* && \
     ln -sf /opt/conda/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-ar /opt/conda/bin/ar && \
-    ln -sf /opt/conda/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-ranlib /opt/conda/bin/ranlib && \
-    # need compilers
-    cpan install XML::LibXML Switch
+    ln -sf /opt/conda/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-ranlib /opt/conda/bin/ranlib
 
 ARG PNETCDF_VERSION=1.12.3
 ENV PNETCDF_VERSION=${PNETCDF_VERSION}
@@ -81,7 +79,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
             apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
             curl ca-certificates software-properties-common \
             gcc make libtool libhwloc-dev libx11-dev libxt-dev libedit-dev \
-            libical-dev ncurses-dev perl python-dev tcl-dev tk-dev swig libexpat-dev libssl-dev \
+            libical-dev ncurses-dev python-dev tcl-dev tk-dev swig libexpat-dev libssl-dev \
             libxext-dev libxft-dev autoconf automake \
             postgresql-12 postgresql-server-dev-all postgresql-contrib \
             expat libedit2 python3 sendmail-bin sudo tcl tk && \
diff --git a/docker/cime.yaml b/docker/cime.yaml
index f0f2871a976..cd25a71118e 100644
--- a/docker/cime.yaml
+++ b/docker/cime.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ dependencies:
   - curl
   - subversion
   - m4
+  - pkg-config
   - pytest
   - pytest-cov
   - pyyaml