diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca4d849b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+name: build and test
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - "gh-pages"
+    tags-ignore:
+      - "v0.[0-8]**"
+  pull_request:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - "gh-pages"
+
+jobs:
+  build_and_test:
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+        
+          # Minimal 64-bit arch builds
+          - CC: gcc
+            feature_set: min
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+
+          - CC: g++
+            feature_set: min
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+
+          - CC: clang
+            feature_set: min
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+
+          # Maximal 64-bit arch builds
+          - CC: gcc
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            DISTCHECK: true
+          
+          - CC: g++
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            DISTCHECK: true
+          
+          - CC: clang
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            DISTCHECK: true
+          
+          # Maximal debug 64-bit arch builds
+          - CC: gcc
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: amd64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            name_extra: and DEBUG
+            CONF_FLAGS_EXTRA: "--enable-xrdpdebug"
+            
+          # Maximal 32-bit arch builds
+          - CC: gcc
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: i386
+            os: ubuntu-16.04
+            name_extra: for 32-bit arch (legacy OS)
+
+          - CC: g++
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: i386
+            os: ubuntu-16.04
+            name_extra: for 32-bit arch (legacy OS)
+
+          - CC: clang
+            feature_set: max
+            arch: i386
+            os: ubuntu-16.04
+            name_extra: for 32-bit arch (legacy OS)
+
+    name: ${{ matrix.feature_set }} features with ${{ matrix.CC }} ${{ matrix.name_extra }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    env:
+      CC: ${{ matrix.CC }}
+      
+      # HACK (2020-11-16): github actions dosen't support YAML anchors/aliases to 
+      # avoid repeating long config values. So instead the config values are defined 
+      # as environment variables using a naming convention with fields that come from 
+      # the job config. These environment variables are then referenced as regualr 
+      # environment variables via the naming convention in the "define env" step to 
+      # define the stardard environment variable used in the rest of the steps.
+      CONF_FLAGS_amd64_min: "--disable-ipv6 --disable-jpeg --disable-fuse --disable-mp3lame
+                  --disable-fdkaac --disable-opus --disable-rfxcodec --disable-painter
+                  --disable-pixman"
+      CONF_FLAGS_amd64_max: "--enable-ipv6 --enable-jpeg --enable-fuse --enable-mp3lame
+                  --enable-fdkaac --enable-opus --enable-rfxcodec --enable-painter
+                  --enable-pixman"
+      CONF_FLAGS_i386_max: "--enable-ipv6 --enable-jpeg --enable-fuse --enable-mp3lame
+                  --enable-fdkaac --enable-opus --enable-rfxcodec --enable-painter
+                  --disable-pixman --host=i686-linux"
+      
+      PKG_CONFIG_PATH_i386: "/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/pkgconfig"
+      CFLAGS_i386: "-m32"
+      LDFLAGS_i386: "-m32"
+    steps:
+      - name: Define feature and arch dependent environment variables
+        # Note: any "variable=value" written to the $GITHUB_ENV file will be 
+        # defined as an environment variable for all future steps in this job
+        # See: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/actions/reference/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#setting-an-environment-variable
+        run: |
+          echo "CONF_FLAGS=$CONF_FLAGS_${{ matrix.arch }}_${{ matrix.feature_set }} ${{ matrix.CONF_FLAGS_EXTRA }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$PKG_CONFIG_PATH_${{ matrix.arch }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "CFLAGS=$CFLAGS_${{ matrix.arch }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS_${{ matrix.arch }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - run: sudo scripts/install_xrdp_build_dependencies_with_apt.sh ${{ matrix.feature_set }} ${{ matrix.arch }} --allow-downgrades --allow-remove-essential --allow-change-held-packages
+      - run: ./bootstrap
+      - run: ./configure $CONF_FLAGS
+      - run: make
+      - if: ${{ matrix.DISTCHECK }}
+        run: make distcheck
+        
+  cppcheck:
+    name: cppcheck
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      CC: gcc
+      # This is required to use a version of cppcheck other than that
+      # suplied with the operating system
+      CPPCHECK_VER: 2.1
+      CPPCHECK_REPO: https://github.com/danmar/cppcheck.git
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - run: sudo scripts/install_cppcheck_dependencies_with_apt.sh
+      - run: ./bootstrap
+      - run: scripts/install_cppcheck.sh $CPPCHECK_REPO $CPPCHECK_VER
+      - run: scripts/run_cppcheck.sh -v $CPPCHECK_VER
+      
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/install_cppcheck_dependencies_with_apt.sh b/scripts/install_cppcheck_dependencies_with_apt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..4d91b5e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install_cppcheck_dependencies_with_apt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eufx
+
+PACKAGES="libz3-dev z3"
+        
+apt-get -yq --no-install-suggests --no-install-recommends install $PACKAGES
diff --git a/scripts/install_xrdp_build_dependencies_with_apt.sh b/scripts/install_xrdp_build_dependencies_with_apt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..62ba39b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install_xrdp_build_dependencies_with_apt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eufx
+
+FEATURE_SET="$1"
+ARCH="$2"
+shift
+shift
+APT_EXTRA_ARGS="$@"
+
+if [ -z "$FEATURE_SET" ]; then
+    FEATURE_SET=min
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$ARCH" ]; then
+    ARCH=amd64
+fi
+
+
+# common build tools for all architectures and feature sets
+PACKAGES=" \
+    autoconf \
+    automake \
+    clang \
+    gcc \
+    g++ \
+    libtool \
+    make \
+    nasm \
+    pkg-config\
+    "
+
+case "$ARCH"
+in
+    amd64)
+        PACKAGES_AMD64_MIN=" \
+            libpam0g-dev \
+            libssl-dev \
+            libx11-dev \
+            libxrandr-dev \
+            libxfixes-dev"
+        
+        case "$FEATURE_SET"
+        in
+            min)
+                PACKAGES="$PACKAGES $PACKAGES_AMD64_MIN"
+                ;;
+            max)
+                PACKAGES="$PACKAGES \
+                    $PACKAGES_AMD64_MIN
+                    libfuse-dev \
+                    libjpeg-dev \
+                    libmp3lame-dev \
+                    libfdk-aac-dev \
+                    libopus-dev \
+                    libpixman-1-dev"
+                ;;
+            *)
+                echo "unsupported feature set: $FEATURE_SET"
+                exit 1;
+                ;;
+        esac
+        ;;
+    i386)
+        PACKAGES="$PACKAGES \
+            g++-multilib \
+            gcc-multilib \
+            libgl1-mesa-dev:i386 \
+            libglu1-mesa-dev:i386 \
+            libjpeg-dev:i386 \
+            libmp3lame-dev:i386 \
+            libfdk-aac-dev:i386 \
+            libopus-dev:i386 \
+            libpam0g-dev:i386 \
+            libssl-dev:i386 \
+            libx11-dev:i386 \
+            libxext-dev:i386 \
+            libxfixes-dev:i386 \
+            libxrandr-dev:i386 \
+            libxrender-dev:i386 \
+            openssl:i386 \
+            libfuse-dev:i386"
+        
+        dpkg --add-architecture i386
+        dpkg --print-architecture
+        dpkg --print-foreign-architectures
+        apt-get update
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "unsupported architecture: $ARCH"
+        exit 1;
+        ;;
+esac
+
+apt-get -yq \
+    --no-install-suggests \
+    --no-install-recommends \
+    $APT_EXTRA_ARGS \
+    install $PACKAGES