diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 51bba39..fba3e8c 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ save: &save
   save_cache:
       key: v1-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-{{ .Branch }}
       paths:
-        - ~/.local
+        - ~/.local/bin
         - ~/.cabal
         - ~/.stack
         - ~/.ghcup
diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 52144ff..437d714 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ freebsd_instance:
 task:
   name: FreeBSD+ghc-9.10.3+cabal
   env:
-    BUILD_TYPE: cabal
+    PACKCHECK_COMMAND: cabal
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Common options
@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ task:
     CABAL_CHECK_RELAX: y
     CABAL_PROJECT: cabal.project
 
-    # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # Where to find the required tools
-    # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    PATH: /usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/local/opt/curl/bin
-
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Location of packcheck.sh (the shell script invoked to perform CI tests ).
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -63,6 +58,18 @@ task:
     PACKCHECK_GITHUB_URL: "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/composewell/packcheck"
     PACKCHECK_GITHUB_COMMIT: "fac7ab9aad48d5b80a1d65efb34ff353a848e927"
 
+  cabal_cache:
+    folder: ~/.cabal
+    fingerprint_script: cat *.cabal cabal.project 2>/dev/null || cat *.cabal
+
+  ghcup_cache:
+    folder: ~/.ghcup
+    fingerprint_script: echo $GHCUP_VERSION $GHCVER
+
+  #local_bin_cache:
+  #  folder: ~/.local/bin
+  #  fingerprint_script: echo $HLINT_VERSION
+
   deps_install_script: |
       pkg install -y gmake
       pkg install -y bash
@@ -83,4 +90,9 @@ task:
       fi
 
   packcheck_run_script: |
-      bash -c "$PACKCHECK $BUILD_TYPE"
+      PTH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
+      # Use "bash -c" instead of invoking directly to preserve quoted
+      # arguments in PACKCHECK_COMMAND e.g. DOCSPEC_OPTIONS="--timeout 60".
+      # Direct invocation would word-split on spaces inside quoted values.
+      bash -c "$PACKCHECK $PACKCHECK_COMMAND PATH=$PTH"
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/packcheck.yml b/.github/workflows/packcheck.yml
index 3b4d7f7..9bc0a12 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/packcheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/packcheck.yml
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ jobs:
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       CABAL_CHECK_RELAX: y
 
-      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-      # Where to find the required tools
-      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-      PATH: /sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
-
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       # Location of packcheck.sh (the shell script invoked to perform CI tests ).
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -192,25 +187,51 @@ jobs:
               STACK_UPGRADE="y"
               DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD="y"
 
+          - name: ci
+            runner: windows-latest
+            command: cabal
+            ghc_version: 9.10.3
+            pack_options: >-
+              CABAL_PROJECT=cabal.project
+              DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD="y"
+
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
     - uses: actions/cache@v4
-      name: Cache common directories
+      name: Cache common directories (non-Windows)
+      if: runner.os != 'Windows'
       with:
+        # On macos ghcup gets installed in ~/.ghcup
+        # On Linux it is /usr/local/.ghcup
         path: |
-          ~/.local
+          ~/.local/bin
           ~/.cabal
           ~/.stack
           ~/.ghcup
+          /usr/local/.ghcup
+        # Bump the key version to clear the cache
+        key: ${{ matrix.command }}-${{ matrix.ghc_version }}-${{ matrix.runner }}
+
+    - uses: actions/cache@v4
+      name: Cache common directories (Windows)
+      if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+      with:
+        path: |
+          ${{ env.APPDATA }}/local/bin
+          C:/ghcup
+          C:/cabal
         key: ${{ matrix.command }}-${{ matrix.ghc_version }}-${{ matrix.runner }}
 
     - name: Download packcheck
+      # on windows-latest GitHub Actions defaults to PowerShell
+      shell: bash
       run: |
         if test ! -e "$PACKCHECK"
         then
           if test -z "$PACKCHECK_GITHUB_COMMIT"
           then
-              die "PACKCHECK_GITHUB_COMMIT is not specified."
+              die "PACKCHECK_GITHUB_COMMIT env var is not specified."
           fi
           PACKCHECK_URL=${PACKCHECK_GITHUB_URL}/${PACKCHECK_GITHUB_COMMIT}/packcheck.sh
           curl --fail -sL -o "$PACKCHECK" $PACKCHECK_URL || exit 1
@@ -221,5 +242,16 @@ jobs:
         fi
 
     - name: Run packcheck
+      # on windows-latest GitHub Actions defaults to PowerShell
+      shell: bash
       run: |
-        bash -c "$PACKCHECK $PACKCHECK_COMMAND"
+        PATH_VAR=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
+        case "$(uname)" in
+          CYGWIN*|MINGW*|MSYS*)
+          PATH_VAR="$PATH_VAR:/c/Program Files/7-Zip:/mingw64/bin"
+            ;;
+        esac
+        # Use "bash -c" instead of invoking directly to preserve quoted
+        # arguments in PACKCHECK_COMMAND e.g. DOCSPEC_OPTIONS="--timeout 60".
+        # Direct invocation would word-split on spaces inside quoted values.
+        bash -c "$PACKCHECK $PACKCHECK_COMMAND PATH=\"$PATH_VAR\""
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index d8fc349..662af77 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -32,17 +32,17 @@ environment:
     # DISABLE_TEST: "y"
     # DISABLE_BENCH: "y"
     # DISABLE_DOCS: "y"
-    DISABLE_DIST_CHECKS: "y"
-    DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD: "y"
+    # DISABLE_DIST_CHECKS: "y"
+    # DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD: "y"
     # Note: these require the "diff" utility.
     # DISABLE_SDIST_GIT_CHECK: "y"
-    # DISABLE_SDIST_PROJECT_CHECK: "y"
+    DISABLE_SDIST_PROJECT_CHECK: "y"
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # cabal options
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     CABAL_CHECK_RELAX: "y"
-    CABAL_PROJECT: "cabal.project"
+    #CABAL_PROJECT: "cabal.project"
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Location of packcheck.sh (the shell script invoked to perform CI tests ).
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ environment:
 cache:
   - "%APPDATA%\\local\\bin -> v1"
   - "%APPDATA%\\cabal"
+  - "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\cabal"
   - "C:\\ghcup"
   - "C:\\cabal"
 
diff --git a/packcheck.sh b/packcheck.sh
index cd7f22e..77d223e 100755
--- a/packcheck.sh
+++ b/packcheck.sh
@@ -89,21 +89,25 @@ which_cmd() {
   hash -r && type -P "$1" || true
 }
 
-require_cmd () {
+require_cmd_silent () {
   if test -z "$(which_cmd $1)"
   then
     echo "Required command [$1] not found in PATH [$PATH]."
     exit 1
-  else
-    echo "Using [$1] at [$(which_cmd $1)]"
   fi
 }
 
+require_cmd () {
+  require_cmd_silent $1
+  echo "Using [$1] at [$(which_cmd $1)]"
+}
+
 # $1: command
 function run_verbose() {
-  # XXX redirecting to stderr leads to misaligned output because stdout and
-  # stdin are printed at different times.
-  echo "$*" 1>&2
+  # Note: we used to redirect the echo to stderr but it leads to
+  # misaligned output because stdout and stdin are printed at different
+  # times.
+  echo "$*"
   bash -c "$*"
 }
 
@@ -151,18 +155,20 @@ win_ungztar() {
 }
 
 set_os_specific_vars() {
+  require_cmd_silent uname
   local os=$(uname)
   case "$os" in
     Darwin|Linux|FreeBSD)
       OS_HAS_TOOLS=tar
-      OS_UNGZTAR_CMD="run_verbose_errexit tar xmzvf"
+      # Removed verbose from this, causes too much output when untar-ing sdist
+      OS_UNGZTAR_CMD="run_verbose_errexit tar xmzf"
       OS_LOCAL_DIR=.local
       OS_CABAL_DIR=.cabal
       OS_APP_HOME=$HOME ;;
     CYGWIN*|MINGW*|MSYS*)
-      require_cmd cygpath
+      require_cmd_silent cygpath
       require_envvar APPDATA
-      OS_HAS_TOOLS=cygpath
+      OS_HAS_TOOLS="7z cygpath"
       OS_UNGZTAR_CMD=win_ungztar
       OS_LOCAL_DIR=local
       OS_CABAL_DIR=cabal
@@ -204,29 +210,61 @@ show_machine_info() {
       run_verbose mount || true
 
       show_step "Disk Usage"
-      run_verbose df -T || true ;;
+      run_verbose df -T || true
+      ;;
 
     FreeBSD)
-      echo "OS: FreeBSD"
+      run_verbose uname -a || true
+      run_verbose freebsd-version || true
+      show_step "CPU"
+      sysctl hw.model hw.ncpu hw.physicalcpu hw.logicalcpu 2>/dev/null || true
+
+      show_step "Memory"
+      sysctl hw.physmem hw.realmem 2>/dev/null || true
+      run_verbose vmstat -H || true
+      show_step "Virtualization"
+      sysctl kern.vm_guest 2>/dev/null || true
 
       show_step "Filesystems"
       run_verbose mount || true
 
       show_step "Disk Usage"
-      run_verbose df || true ;;
+      run_verbose df -h || true
+      ;;
 
     Darwin)
-      echo "OS: MacOS"
-
+      run_verbose uname -a || true
+      run_verbose sw_vers || true
+      show_step "Hardware/CPU"
+      sysctl -n hw.model
+      sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string
+      sysctl hw.physicalcpu hw.logicalcpu hw.cpufrequency
+      show_step "Memory"
+      sysctl hw.memsize | awk '{printf "Total RAM: %.2f GB\n", $2/1024/1024/1024}' || true
+      run_verbose vm_stat || true
       show_step "Filesystems"
       run_verbose mount || true
-
       show_step "Disk Usage"
-      run_verbose df -Y || true ;;
+      run_verbose df -h || true
+      ;;
 
     CYGWIN*|MINGW*|MSYS*)
-      echo "OS: Windows ($os)" ;;
-    *) die "OS: Unknown OS [$os]" ;;
+      echo "OS: Windows $WINVER ($os)"
+
+      show_step "CPU"
+      echo "$NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS processor(s)"
+      echo "${PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER:-unknown}"
+
+      show_step "Memory"
+      run_verbose free -h
+
+      show_step "Disk Usage"
+      run_verbose df -h
+      ;;
+
+    *)
+      die "OS: Unknown OS [$os]"
+      ;;
   esac
 }
 
@@ -505,7 +543,7 @@ show_build_command() {
 
   echo "You can use the following command to reproduce this build:"
   echo
-  echo -n "$0 $BUILD "
+  echo -n "$(basename $0) $BUILD "
   for i in $SAFE_ENVVARS
   do
     local val="$(show_nonempty_var $i)"
@@ -1008,6 +1046,18 @@ ghcup_install() {
   then
     run_verbose_errexit_with "cat ${GHCUP_PREFIX}/logs/*" \
         $GHCUP_PATH install ghc $GHCUP_GHC_OPTIONS $tool_ver
+
+    # Add the actual GHC bin dir to PATH so plain 'ghc' command without a
+    # version suffix is also available. Commands like "cabal path", "cabal
+    # info" require "ghc" in path. Other tasks like cabal build can use a
+    # specific versioned path like ghc-9.4.3.
+    local ghc_bindir
+    ghc_bindir=$($GHCUP_PATH whereis --directory ghc $tool_ver)
+    case "$(uname)" in
+      CYGWIN*|MINGW*|MSYS*) ghc_bindir=$(cygpath -u "$ghc_bindir") ;;
+    esac
+    echo "Adding GHC bin dir [$ghc_bindir] to PATH"
+    export PATH="$ghc_bindir:$PATH"
   else
     run_verbose_errexit ghcup install $tool $tool_ver
   fi
@@ -1020,13 +1070,19 @@ ghcup_install() {
 ensure_default_ghc() {
   local ghc
   ghc="$(which_cmd ghc)"
-  if test -z "$ghc" -a -n "$GHCUP_VERSION"
+  if test -z "$ghc"
   then
-    echo "No default ghc found in PATH. Setting it using ghcup"
-    ghcup set ghc $GHCVER
+    HAVE_DEFAULT_GHC=
+    echo "WARNING! No default \"ghc\" found in PATH."
+    echo "WARNING! cabal path output will not be shown."
+    echo "WARNING! cabal info output will not be shown."
+  else
+    HAVE_DEFAULT_GHC=y
   fi
 }
 
+# NOTE: this should be called before ensure_cabal as ensure_cabal needs
+# default_ghc to run "cabal path".
 ensure_ghc() {
   local found
   local compiler
@@ -1104,11 +1160,7 @@ ensure_ghc() {
   # GHCVER
   GHCVER=$($compiler --numeric-version) || exit 1
 
-  # cabal info command requires "ghc" to be in PATH
-  if test -z "$DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD"
-  then
-    ensure_default_ghc
-  fi
+  ensure_default_ghc
 
   if test -n "$ENABLE_GHCJS"
   then
@@ -1262,8 +1314,13 @@ ensure_cabal() {
   verlte $MIN_CABALVER $CABALVER || \
       die "Cabal version should at least be $MIN_CABALVER"
 
-  echo
-  run_verbose $CABAL_BINARY_NAME path
+  if test -n "$HAVE_DEFAULT_GHC"
+  then
+    echo
+    run_verbose $CABAL_BINARY_NAME path
+  else
+    echo "WARNING! skipping \"cabal path\", \"ghc\" not in PATH"
+  fi
 }
 
 # Find a file in the parent/ancestor directories
@@ -1358,26 +1415,11 @@ get_pkg_name() {
 
 get_pkg_full_name() {
   local pkgname
-  local full_name
   pkgname=$(get_pkg_name) || exit 1
-  full_name=$($CABAL_BINARY_NAME info . | awk '{ if ($1 == "*") {print $2; exit}}') || true
-  if test -z "$full_name"
-  then
-    if test -z "$DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD"
-    then
-      echo
-      run_verbose pwd
-      run_verbose $CABAL_BINARY_NAME info .
-      die "'cabal info' command failed to determine package name.\nPlease use 'DISABLE_SDIST_BUILD=y' to avoid this issue."
-    fi
-  else
-    if test "${pkgname}${full_name#$pkgname}" != "${full_name}"
-    then
-      die "Inconsistent package name [$pkgname] and package full name [$full_name]"
-    fi
-  fi
-
-  echo $full_name
+  local pkgver
+  pkgver=$(grep -i "^version:" "${pkgname}.cabal" | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+  test -n "$pkgver" || die "Could not determine package version from ${pkgname}.cabal"
+  echo "${pkgname}-${pkgver}"
 }
 
 # XXX use MULTI_PACKAGE_PROJECT as a CLI option, instead of trying to determine
@@ -1474,20 +1516,6 @@ ensure_cabal_config() {
   fi
 }
 
-# $1: dir where they are installed
-remove_pkg_executables() {
-  test -n "$(which_cmd $CABAL_BINARY_NAME)" || return 0
-
-  exes=$($CABAL_BINARY_NAME info . | awk '{if ($1 == "Executables:") { print $2; exit }}') || exit 1
-  echo "Remove installed binaries"
-  for i in $exes
-  do
-    # The executables may be under a cabal flag and may not have been installed
-    # unless we used that flag. So just use "rm -f" to remove silently.
-    run_verbose_errexit rm -f "$1"/"$i"
-  done
-}
-
 sdist_remove_project_file () {
     if test -e "$1"
     then
@@ -1686,7 +1714,12 @@ then add them to .packcheck.ignore file at the root of the git repository."
   fi
 
   show_step "Package info [sdist $SDIST_OPTIONS]"
-  run_verbose $CABAL_BINARY_NAME info . || true
+  if test -n "$HAVE_DEFAULT_GHC"
+  then
+    run_verbose $CABAL_BINARY_NAME info . || true
+  else
+    echo "WARNING! skipping \"cabal info\", \"ghc\" not in PATH"
+  fi
 
   if test -f "./configure.ac"
   then
@@ -1827,9 +1860,9 @@ build_hlint() {
     ensure_ghc
     stack_install_tool hlint
   else
+    ensure_ghc
     ensure_cabal ${LOCAL_BIN}
     ensure_cabal_config
-    ensure_ghc
     case "$BUILD" in
       cabal-v2) run_verbose_errexit $CABALCMD v2-install hlint ;;
       *) echo "Bug: unknown build type: $BUILD" ;;
@@ -1970,11 +2003,9 @@ build_compile () {
   ensure_ghc && echo
   dont_need_cabal 'verbose' || ensure_cabal ${LOCAL_BIN}
 
-  # use the stack installed 7z instead. depends on ensure ghc where we setup
-  # stack paths.
   case "$(uname -s)" in
     MINGW*|MSYS*|CYGWIN*)
-      require_cmd 7z
+      require_cmd_silent 7z
       ;;
   esac
 
@@ -2077,11 +2108,27 @@ get_rel_time() {
 # functions are returning non-zero exit codes.
 #set -e
 set -o pipefail
-test -n "$BASE_TIME" || BASE_TIME=$(get_sys_time)
 
 test -n "$1" \
     || { short_help; echo -e "\nTry --help for detailed help"; exit 1; }
 
+# For commands make sure we call eval_env "$@" before doing anything else so
+# that the envvars passed on the command line are evaluated first. We may have
+# PATH as one of the args which we need to evaluate before running any
+# command.
+case $1 in
+  cabal|cabal-v2|stack|hlint|clean|cleanall|-h|--help|help|--version|version) BUILD=$1; shift; eval_env "$@" ;;
+  cabal-v1) die "cabal-v1 is not supported, please use cabal-v2 instead";;
+  cabal-new) die "cabal-new is not supported, please use cabal-v2 instead";;
+  *) echo -e "$(basename $0): unrecognized command [$1]\n"
+    short_help; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+# This should be called after eval_env "$@" has been done above, so that PATH
+# is set.
+require_cmd_silent date
+test -n "$BASE_TIME" || BASE_TIME=$(get_sys_time)
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Need these to produce help
@@ -2096,8 +2143,7 @@ HLINT_URL_PREFIX="https://github.com/ndmitchell/hlint/releases"
 DOCSPEC_PATH="${LOCAL_BIN}/cabal-docspec"
 DOCSPEC_URL_PREFIX="https://github.com/phadej/cabal-extras/releases/"
 
-# XXX On windows this should be ghcup instead of .ghcup? See
-# set_os_specific_vars
+# See set_os_specific_vars
 case "$(uname)" in
   CYGWIN*|MINGW*|MSYS*)
     GHCUP_PREFIX=$(cygpath -u "${GHCUP_INSTALL_BASE_PREFIX:-C:}")/ghcup ;;
@@ -2110,33 +2156,32 @@ GHCUP_URL_PREFIX="https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghcup"
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-case $1 in
-  cabal) shift; eval_env "$@"; BUILD=cabal-v2;;
-  cabal-v1) die "cabal-v1 is not supported, please use cabal-v2 instead";;
-  cabal-new) die "cabal-new is not supported, please use cabal-v2 instead";;
-  cabal-v2) shift; eval_env "$@"; BUILD=cabal-v2;;
-  stack) shift; eval_env "$@"; BUILD=stack;;
-  hlint) shift; eval_env "$@"; BUILD=hlint;;
+case $BUILD in
+  cabal) BUILD=cabal-v2;;
   clean) rm -rf .packcheck; exit;;
   cleanall)
     rm -rf .packcheck .stack-work
     exit;;
-  -h | --help | help) show_help; exit;;
-  --version) show_version; exit;;
-  *) echo -e "Error: First argument must be a command\n"
-    short_help; exit 1 ;;
+  -h|--help|help) show_help; exit;;
+  --version|version) show_version; exit;;
 esac
 
 test -z "$CHECK_ENV" || check_boolean_var CHECK_ENV
 test -z "$CHECK_ENV" || check_clean_env
 
+require_cmd_silent bash
 echo
 bash --version
 
 show_step "Build command"
 show_build_command
 
-TOOLS="awk cat curl cut date env head mkdir printf rm sleep tr which sort \
+# Note that date, uname, cygpath, rm are used even before this point. This
+# informatory so that PATH argument can be cleaned up by looking at where the
+# tools are. Anything used in require_cmd can be listed here. But the danger is
+# that we will put a requirement on a tool even if it may not be required in a
+# particular command's flow.
+TOOLS="awk cat curl cut date env head mkdir printf rm sleep sort tr uname which \
 $OS_HAS_TOOLS"
 
 show_step "Check basic tools"