diff --git a/.github/workflows/make-alpine.yaml b/.github/workflows/make-alpine.yaml
index e6b5c90ccc..00bc347e7d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/make-alpine.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/make-alpine.yaml
@@ -229,8 +229,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           unset CC
           unset CXX
-          IFS=':' read -r -a packages <<< "${PACKAGE_NAMES}"
-          for package in "${packages[@]}"; do
+          IFS=:
+          for package in "${PACKAGE_NAMES}"; do
+            printf "   \033[0;32m==>\033[0m Octave package \033[0;32m${lib}\033[0m\n"
             echo "::group::Install ${package}"
             octave --eval "pkg install -verbose -forge ${package}"
             echo "::endgroup::"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/make-mingw.yaml b/.github/workflows/make-mingw.yaml
index 9461515779..a9458b265a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/make-mingw.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/make-mingw.yaml
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ jobs:
           export PATH=$(echo "$PATH" | sed -e "s|$MINGW_PREFIX/lib/ccache/bin:||g")
           export PATH="/c/octave/pkg/${{ matrix.mingw-prefix }}/bin:$PATH"
           cd examples/code
-          mkoctfile --link-stand-alone embedded.cc -o embedded
+          mkoctfile --link-stand-alone --verbose embedded.cc -o embedded
           ./embedded.exe
 
       - name: test Octave packages
@@ -257,8 +257,11 @@ jobs:
           unset CXX
           export PATH=$(echo "$PATH" | sed -e "s|$MINGW_PREFIX/lib/ccache/bin:||g")
           export PATH="/c/octave/pkg/${{ matrix.mingw-prefix }}/bin:$PATH"
+          mkoctfile -p OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME
+          mkoctfile -p OCTLIBDIR
           IFS=':' read -r -a packages <<< "${PACKAGE_NAMES}"
           for package in "${packages[@]}"; do
+            printf "   \033[0;32m==>\033[0m Octave package \033[0;32m${lib}\033[0m\n"
             echo "::group::Install ${package}"
             octave --eval "pkg install -verbose -forge ${package}"
             echo "::endgroup::"