diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
index 06dc10882..9be1c0472 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   configure:
     name: Configure
-    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim    # https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/ubuntu-slim/ubuntu-slim-Readme.md
     outputs:
       tag: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.tag }}
       sha: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.sha }}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ jobs:
 
     name: ${{ matrix.distro }} ${{ matrix.version }}
     needs: configure
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest    # https://github.com/actions/runner-images
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.allow-failure == 'yes' }}
     timeout-minutes: 70
     env:
@@ -259,9 +259,9 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           - os: macOS
-            target: 13
+            target: 13    # EOL 2025-09-15
             runner: macos-15-intel    # https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-15-Readme.md
-                                      # macos-26-intel is slow and fails in CPack during DMG config if not increasing Finder timeout
+                                      # macos-26-intel is very slow and fails in CPack during DMG config if not increasing Finder timeout
 
             ccache_eviction_age: 7d
             cmake_generator: Ninja
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ jobs:
             xcode: "26.3"
 
           - os: macOS
-            target: 14
+            target: 14    # EOL 2026-??
             runner: macos-26    # https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-26-arm64-Readme.md
 
             ccache_eviction_age: 7d
diff --git a/format.sh b/format.sh
index 83dee9e28..3fa435be1 100755
--- a/format.sh
+++ b/format.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 # go to the project root directory, this file should be located in the project root directory
 olddir="$PWD"
 cd "${BASH_SOURCE%/*}/" || exit 2 # could not find path, this could happen with special links etc.
+phys_root="$(pwd -P)"
 
 # defaults
 include=("cockatrice/src" \
@@ -168,14 +169,14 @@ EOM
         echo "error in parsing arguments of $0: $1 is an unrecognized option" >&2
         exit 2 # input error
       fi
-      if [[ ! $1 ]] || next_dir=$(cd "$olddir" && cd -- "$1" && pwd); then
+      if [[ ! $1 ]] || next_dir=$(cd "$olddir" && cd -- "$1" && pwd -P); then
         if ! [[ $set_include ]]; then
           include=() # remove default includes
           set_include=1
         fi
         if [[ $1 ]]; then
-          if [[ $next_dir != $PWD/* ]]; then
-            echo "error in parsing arguments of $0: $next_dir is not in $PWD" >&2
+          if [[ "$next_dir" != "$phys_root" && "$next_dir" != "$phys_root"/* ]]; then
+            echo "error in parsing arguments of $0: $next_dir is not in $phys_root" >&2
             exit 2 # input error
           fi
           include+=("$next_dir")