diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 6a78d13..66c2b96 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ GENERATED FILES
     * ax_init_standard_project.m4 - auxiliary macro definition file
     * ax_cxx_compile_stdcxx.m4 - auxiliary macro definition file
     * ax_check_qt.m4 - auxiliary macro definition file
-    * makefile_test.inc.am - makefile to be included in tests
     * resolve-debbuilddeps.sh - script to install debian package dependencies
     * resolve-rpmbuilddeps.sh - script to install RPM package dependencies
     * build-in-docker.sh - script to build the project encapsulated in a docker container
@@ -450,7 +449,7 @@ checkdir() {
     if ! test -d "$1"; then # create path
         run mkdir -p "$1"
         if test -n "${VCS}" -a $novcs -eq 0 && ! contains "$1" "${excludevcs[@]}"; then
-            run ${VCS} add "$1"
+            run --no-check ${VCS} add "$1"
         fi
     fi
 }
@@ -498,7 +497,7 @@ to() {
     run chmod $mode $1
     if test $exists -eq 0; then
         if test -n "${VCS}" -a $novcs -eq 0 && ! contains "$1" "${excludevcs[@]}"; then
-            run ${VCS} add "$1"
+            run --no-check ${VCS} add "$1"
             if test "${VCS}" = "svn"; then
                 run svn propset svn:keywords "Id" "$1"
             fi
@@ -530,7 +529,7 @@ copy() {
     run cp "${source}" "$1"
     if test $exists -eq 0; then
         if test -n "${VCS}" -a $novcs -eq 0 && ! contains "$1" "${excludevcs[@]}"; then
-            run ${VCS} add "$1"
+            run --no-check ${VCS} add "$1"
             if test "${VCS}" = "svn"; then
                 run svn propset svn:keywords "Id" "$1"
             fi
@@ -579,7 +578,7 @@ vcs2cl() {
     fi
     if test $exists -eq 0; then
         if test -n "${VCS}" -a $novcs -eq 0 && ! contains "ChangeLog" "${excludevcs[@]}"; then
-            run ${VCS} add ChangeLog
+            run --no-check ${VCS} add ChangeLog
         fi
     fi
 }
@@ -597,7 +596,6 @@ copy ${MY_NAME}
 copy ax_init_standard_project.m4
 copy ax_cxx_compile_stdcxx.m4
 copy ax_check_qt.m4
-copy makefile_test.inc.am
 copy resolve-debbuilddeps.sh
 copy resolve-rpmbuilddeps.sh
 copy build-in-docker.sh
@@ -1512,7 +1510,7 @@ if testtag AX_USE_DOXYGEN; then
         sed -i ':a;/\\$/{s///;N;s/ *\n */ /g;ba}' doc/doxyfile.in
         if test $exists -eq 0; then
             if test -n "${VCS}" -a $novcs -eq 0 && ! contains "doc/doxyfile" "${excludevcs[@]}"; then
-                run ${VCS} add doc/doxyfile.in
+                run --no-check ${VCS} add doc/doxyfile.in
                 if test "${VCS}" = "svn"; then
                     run svn propset svn:keywords "Id" doc/doxyfile.in
                 fi
diff --git a/build-in-docker.sh b/build-in-docker.sh
index c623b13..d2522e3 100755
--- a/build-in-docker.sh
+++ b/build-in-docker.sh
@@ -278,25 +278,18 @@ fi
 case "$mode" in
     (deb|apt|win)
         OPTIONS='-o Dpkg::Options::=--force-confdef -o Dpkg::Options::=--force-confnew -y --force-yes --no-install-suggests --no-install-recommends'
-        PREVENT='libpam-systemd policykit.* colord dconf-service'
         docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get update ${OPTIONS}
-        docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-mark hold ${PREVENT}
         #docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get upgrade ${OPTIONS}
-        docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- python-software-properties software-properties-common apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget || \
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- software-properties-common apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget || \
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- python-software-properties apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget;
+        docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} python-software-properties software-properties-common apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget || \
+            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} software-properties-common apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget || \
+            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} python-software-properties apt-transport-https dpkg-dev lsb-release wget;
         if [[ "${img}" =~ "ubuntu" ]]; then
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- locales
+            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} locales
             docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} locale-gen ${LANG}
             docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} update-locale LANG=${LANG}
         fi
-        for f in ${PREVENT}; do
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} bash -c "echo 'Package: ${f}' >> /etc/apt/preferences"
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} bash -c "echo 'Pin-Priority: -100' >> /etc/apt/preferences"
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} bash -c "echo >> /etc/apt/preferences"
-        done
         if test -n "${keys[*]}"; then # fix dependency bug in cosmic and stretch
-            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- gnupg
+            docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get install ${OPTIONS} gnupg
             for key in "${keys[@]}"; do
                 wget -O- "$key" \
                     | docker exec -i ${DOCKER_ID} apt-key add -
@@ -308,7 +301,7 @@ case "$mode" in
 
         docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} apt-get update ${OPTIONS}
         for package in "${packages[@]}"; do
-            ifthenelse "${package}" "apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- ARG"
+            ifthenelse "${package}" "apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ARG"
         done
         for command in "${commands[@]}"; do
             ifthenelse "${command}" "ARG"
@@ -369,7 +362,7 @@ docker exec -u $(id -u):$(id -g) ${DOCKER_ID} ./bootstrap.sh -t "${targets}" ${h
 # not supported in trusty and jessie
 if test "$mode" = deb -a "${img//trusty/}" = "${img}" -a "${img//jessie/}" = "${img}"; then
    if test "${targets//deb/}" != "${targets}" && ls *.deb > /dev/null 2> /dev/null; then
-       docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} bash -c "apt-get install ${OPTIONS} ${PREVENT// /- }- /workdir/*.deb"
+       docker exec ${DOCKER_ID} bash -c "apt-get install ${OPTIONS} /workdir/*.deb"
    fi
 fi
 if test "$mode" = rpm -a "${targets//rpm/}" != "${targets}"; then
diff --git a/template.sh b/template.sh
index beb656d..05e5e67 100755
--- a/template.sh
+++ b/template.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash -e
 
+# documentation: run with option --help
+
 ##########################################################################################
 #### template for bash scripts #### START BELOW ##########################################
 ##########################################################################################
@@ -45,25 +47,25 @@ message() {
 # write a success message
 success() {
     echo -n "${bold}${green}success" 1>&2
-    append_msg $* 1>&2
+    append_msg "$*" 1>&2
 }
 
 # write a notice
 notice() {
     echo -n "${bold}${yellow}notice" 1>&2
-    append_msg $* 1>&2
+    append_msg "$*" 1>&2
 }
 
 # write a warning message
 warning() {
     echo -en "${bold}${red}warning" 1>&2
-    append_msg $* 1>&2
+    append_msg "$*" 1>&2
 }
 
 # write error message
 error() {
     echo -en "${bold}${red}error" 1>&2
-    append_msg $* 1>&2
+    append_msg "$*" 1>&2
 }
 
 # run a command, print the result and abort in case of error
@@ -91,9 +93,10 @@ run() {
             exit 1
         else
             warning "ignored return code: $res"
+            return 0
         fi
     else
-        success
+        return 1
     fi
 }
 
@@ -119,7 +122,6 @@ function traperror() {
             exit $e
         fi
     done
-    success
     exit 0
 }
 
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ trap 'traperror "$? ${PIPESTATUS[@]}" $LINENO $BASH_LINENO "$BASH_COMMAND" "${FU
 ######################################################### commandline parameter evaluation
 while test $# -gt 0; do
     case "$1" in
-        (--help|-h) less <<EOF
+        (--help|-h) cat <<EOF
 SYNOPSIS
 
   $0 [OPTIONS]
@@ -157,4 +159,3 @@ EOF
 done
 
 ##################################################################################### Main
-