diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 5f3a764..789de33 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -11,12 +11,20 @@ env:
   VCPKG_ROOT: ${{github.workspace}}/.vcpkg
   DEPS_VCPKG: glfw3:x64-linux-dynamic glfw3:x64-mingw-static
 jobs:
-  setup-vcpkg:
+  #
+  # the mega job containing all things we need to do, since setting up a single system is more efficient than installing the same stuff on multiple ones
+  #
+  exec-ci-tasks:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container: ghcr.io/thepigeongenerator/mcaselector-lite:latest
-    outputs:
-      CACHE_KEY_VCPKG: ${{steps.gen-keys.outputs.HASH_VCPKG}}
     steps:
+      #
+      # general setup
+      #
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      #
+      # VCPKG setup
+      #
       - id: gen-keys
         run: echo "HASH_VCPKG=vcpkg-$(echo "$DEPS_VCPKG" | sha256sum | cut -d ' ' -f1)" >>"$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       # load the vcpkg cache
@@ -32,53 +40,13 @@ jobs:
           git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git "$VCPKG_ROOT"
           "$VCPKG_ROOT/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh"
           "$VCPKG_ROOT/vcpkg" install $DEPS_VCPKG
-  compile:
-    needs: setup-vcpkg
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container: ghcr.io/thepigeongenerator/mcaselector-lite:latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        include:
-          - kernel: linux
-            march: x86_64
-            cc: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc
-          - kernel: mingw
-            march: x86_64
-            cc: x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc
-    steps:
-      # load the vcpkg cache
-      - uses: actions/cache@v4
-        id: cache-vcpkg
-        with:
-          path: ${{env.VCPKG_ROOT}}
-          key: ${{needs.setup-vcpkg.outputs.CACHE_KEY_VCPKG}}
-      - if: steps.cache-vcpkg.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        run: echo -e "\033[31mcache failed to load!\033[0m" >&2; exit 1
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      # compile
-      - name: compile ${{matrix.march}}-${{matrix.kernel}}
-        run: make compile MARCH=${{matrix.march}} KERNEL=${{matrix.kernel}} CC=${{matrix.cc}} -j
-  test:
-    needs: setup-vcpkg
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container: ghcr.io/thepigeongenerator/mcaselector-lite:latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        include:
-          - kernel: linux
-            march: x86_64
-            cc: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc
-            # WARN: not testing win-x86_64... Probably a good idea to do that
-    steps:
-      # load the vcpkg cache
-      - uses: actions/cache@v4
-        id: cache-vcpkg
-        with:
-          path: ${{env.VCPKG_ROOT}}
-          key: ${{needs.setup-vcpkg.outputs.CACHE_KEY_VCPKG}}
-      - if: steps.cache-vcpkg.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        run: echo -e "\033[31mcache failed to load!\033[0m" >&2; exit 1
-      # compile and execute tests
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: execute tests for ${{matrix.march}}-${{matrix.kernel}}
-        run: make KERNEL=${{matrix.kernel}} CC=${{matrix.cc}} DEBUG=test run MARCH=${{matrix.march}} -j
+      #
+      # compilation
+      #
+      - run: make compile MARCH=x86_64 KERNEL=linux CC=x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc -j
+      - run: make compile MARCH=x86_64 KERNEL=mingw CC=x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc -j
+      #
+      # executing unit tests
+      #
+      - run: make run MARCH=x86_64 KERNEL=linux CC=x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc DEBUG=test -j
+        # WARN: not testing windows, probably should do that