diff --git a/.github/workflows/scriptcheck.yml b/.github/workflows/scriptcheck.yml
index 00e5c4ed8..adae46f20 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scriptcheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scriptcheck.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8]
+        python-version: [2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9]
+      fail-fast: false
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -41,12 +42,12 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install psutil
 
       - name: run Shellcheck
-        if: matrix.python-version == '3.8'
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           find . -name "*.sh" | xargs shellcheck --exclude SC2002,SC2013,SC2034,SC2035,SC2043,SC2046,SC2086,SC2089,SC2090,SC2129,SC2211,SC2231
 
       - name: run pylint
-        if: matrix.python-version == '3.8'
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           pylint --rcfile=pylintrc_travis addons/*.py
           pylint --rcfile=pylintrc_travis htmlreport/cppcheck-htmlreport
@@ -54,20 +55,22 @@ jobs:
           pylint --rcfile=pylintrc_travis tools/*.py
 
       - name: check .json files
-        if: matrix.python-version == '3.8'
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           find . -name '*.json' | xargs -n 1 python -m json.tool > /dev/null
 
       - name: Validate
-        if: matrix.python-version == '3.8'
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           make -j$(nproc) validateCFG validatePlatforms validateRules
 
       - name: check python syntax
         if: matrix.python-version != '2.7'
         run: |
-          python -m py_compile ./tools/donate-cpu.py
-          python -m py_compile ./tools/donate-cpu-server.py
+          python -m py_compile addons/*.py
+          python -m py_compile htmlreport/cppcheck-htmlreport
+          python -m py_compile htmlreport/*.py
+          python -m py_compile tools/*.py
 
       - name: compile addons
         run: |
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ jobs:
           PYTHONPATH=./addons python -m pytest addons/test/test-*.py
 
       - name: dmake
-        if: matrix.python-version == '3.8'
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           make -j$(nproc) run-dmake
           git diff --exit-code
diff --git a/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py b/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py
index 83d998bce..e4421e975 100644
--- a/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py
+++ b/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import subprocess
 CPPCHECK = os.path.expanduser('~/cppcheck/cppcheck')
 
 def run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters:str, clang:str):
-    cmd = f'{CPPCHECK} {cppcheck_parameters} {clang} --debug --verbose'
+    cmd = '{} {} {} --debug --verbose'.format(CPPCHECK, cppcheck_parameters, clang)
     #print(cmd)
     p = subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     comm = p.communicate()
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def compare_ast_symdb(cppcheck_parameters: str):
     ast1 = get_ast(debug1)
     ast2 = get_ast(debug2)
     if ast1 != ast2:
-        print(f"ast is not the same: {cppcheck_parameters}")
+        print("ast is not the same: {}".format(cppcheck_parameters))
         with open('cppcheck.ast', 'wt') as f:
             f.write(ast1)
         with open('clang.ast', 'wt') as f:
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def compare_ast_symdb(cppcheck_parameters: str):
     symdb1 = get_symdb(debug1)
     symdb2 = get_symdb(debug2)
     if symdb1 != symdb2:
-        print(f"symdb is not the same: {cppcheck_parameters}")
+        print("symdb is not the same: {}".format(cppcheck_parameters))
         with open('cppcheck.symdb', 'wt') as f:
             f.write(symdb1)
         with open('clang.symdb', 'wt') as f:
diff --git a/tools/trac-keywords.py b/tools/trac-keywords.py
index 9449bc2a4..3c0027a9f 100644
--- a/tools/trac-keywords.py
+++ b/tools/trac-keywords.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ TRACDB = 'trac.db'
 
 
 def readdb():
-    global TRACDB
     cmds = ['sqlite3', TRACDB, 'SELECT id,keywords FROM ticket WHERE status<>"closed";']
     p = subprocess.Popen(cmds, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     comm = p.communicate()
@@ -25,9 +24,9 @@ def readdb():
             ret[kw].append(nr)
     return ret
 
+
 for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
     if arg.endswith('/trac.db'):
-        global TRACDB
         TRACDB = arg
 
 data = readdb()