diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3d7c1d5e17..93de459dac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ defaults:
     shell: bash
 
 env:
-  java_version: 17
+  java_version: 21
   java_distribution: zulu
   javadoc_version: 24 # newer than `java_version` for better javadoc
   groovy_version: 4.x
diff --git a/install-clara b/install-clara
index 640d8f0e38..03589ba8a6 100755
--- a/install-clara
+++ b/install-clara
@@ -87,13 +87,14 @@ do
     esac
 done
 
-# Check requested installation path:
+# Check installation path:
 clara_home="$args"
-[ "${#args[@]}" -lt 1 ] && error "Missing PATH argument"
+[ "${#args[@]}" -lt 1 ] && error "Missing PATH argument."
 [ "${#args[@]}" -gt 1 ] && error "Extra PATH arguments:  ${args[@]:1}"
 [ -e "$clara_home" ]    && error "Installation PATH already exists:  $clara_home"
 mkdir -p $clara_home    || error "Cannot create installation PATH:  $clara_home"
 clara_home=$(cd $clara_home && pwd) && rmdir $clara_home
+echo -e "\nConfigured for a CLARA_HOME installation at:\n\t$clara_home"
 
 # If the user didn't specify a coatjava version, try auto-detect the version:
 if [ -z ${coatjava+x} ]
@@ -109,12 +110,11 @@ then
     echo -e "\nUsing local COATJAVA installation:\n\t$coatjava"
 elif ! [[ "$coatjava" =~ ^([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)t?$ ]] # must be semver, or semver+"t"
 then
-    echo -e "\n\nWARNING:  COATJAVA doesn't look like a local installation nor version number:  $coatjava"
+    echo -e "\nWARNING:  COATJAVA doesn't look like a local installation nor version number:  $coatjava"
 fi
 
 # Do everything inside a new, temporary directory:
-[ -w "." ] || error "Current working directory is not writeable:  \$PWD=$PWD"
-tmp_dir=$(mktemp -d tmp.install-clara.XXXXXX)
+tmp_dir=$(mktemp -d $clara_home.tmp.XXXXXX)
 [ $? -ne 0 ] && error "Cannot create temporary directory:  $tmp_dir"
 tmp_dir=$(cd $tmp_dir && pwd)
 echo -e "\nCreating temporary build directory:\n\t$tmp_dir"
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ fi
 # COATJAVA:
 if ! compgen -G "$coatjava/lib/clas/coat-libs-*.jar" > /dev/null
 then
-    echo -e "\nRetrieving COATJAVA version $coatjava ..."
+    echo -e "\nRetrieving COATJAVA/$coatjava ..."
     get https://clasweb.jlab.org/clas12offline/distribution/coatjava/coatjava-$coatjava.tar.gz
     coatjava=./coatjava
 fi
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ mkdir -p clara-cre/plugins/clas12/config
 cp -Lr $coatjava/etc $coatjava/bin $coatjava/lib* clara-cre/plugins/clas12
 
 # GRAPES:
-echo -e "\nRetrieving GRAPES version $grapes ..."
+echo -e "\nRetrieving GRAPES/$grapes ..."
 get https://clasweb.jlab.org/clas12offline/distribution/grapes/grapes-$grapes.tar.gz
 mv grapes-$grapes clara-cre/plugins/grapes