diff --git a/contrib/getfiles.nwchem b/contrib/getfiles.nwchem
index 4aeb1d3803..5bbd31ec3e 100755
--- a/contrib/getfiles.nwchem
+++ b/contrib/getfiles.nwchem
@@ -1,57 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 #
 # $Id$
+source $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
 cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/nwpw/nwpwlib/nwpwxc/
 rm -f dftd3.tgz
 wget https://www.chemie.uni-bonn.de/grimme/de/software/dft-d3/dftd3.tgz
+#openblas
 cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/openblas
-VERSION=0.3.29
-rm -rf OpenBLAS*gz
-rm -rf OpenBLAS*
-tries=1
-until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ]
-do
-    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-    curl -L https://github.com/OpenMathLib/OpenBLAS/archive/v${VERSION}.tar.gz -o OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz ;
-    # check tar.gz integrity
-    gzip -t OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-    tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
-cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/scalapack
+rm -rf OpenB* openblas*
+get_openblas
 #scalapack
-COMMIT=a23c2cdc6586c427686f6097ae66bb54ef693571
-echo "downloading"  "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz"
-rm -rf scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz scalapack*
-tries=1
-until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ]
-do
-    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-    curl -L https://github.com/Reference-ScaLAPACK/scalapack/archive/$COMMIT.tar.gz -o scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
-    # check tar.gz integrity
-    gzip -t scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-    tries=$((tries+1))
-done
+cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/scalapack
+rm -rf scalapa*
+get_scalapack
 #ELPA
 cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/elpa
-rm -rf elpa*tar.gz elpa*
-SHORTVERSION=2025.06.002
-VERSION=new_release_${SHORTVERSION}
-#    echo    curl -L https://github.com/marekandreas/elpa/archive/refs/tags/${VERSION}.tar.gz -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-#    curl -L https://github.com/marekandreas/elpa/archive/refs/tags/${VERSION}.tar.gz -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-tries=1
-until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ]
-do
-    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then echo sleeping for 9s ;sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-    echo curl https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/${VERSION}/elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-    curl -L https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/${VERSION}/elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-    gzip -t elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-    tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
+rm -rf elpa*
+get_elpa 
 #caching
 if [ ! -z "$1" ]; then
     rsync -av $NWCHEM_TOP/src/nwpw/nwpwlib/nwpwxc/dftd3.tgz "$1"/.
     rsync -av $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/openblas/OpenBLAS*gz "$1"/.
-    rsync -av $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/scalapack/scalapack*zip "$1"/.
+    rsync -av $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/scalapack/scalapack*tar*gz "$1"/.
     rsync -av $NWCHEM_TOP/src/libext/elpa/elpa*tar.gz "$1"/.
 fi
diff --git a/src/libext/elpa/build_elpa.sh b/src/libext/elpa/build_elpa.sh
index 10d43d5566..054b50ea25 100755
--- a/src/libext/elpa/build_elpa.sh
+++ b/src/libext/elpa/build_elpa.sh
@@ -19,30 +19,9 @@ arch=`uname -m`
 #SHORTVERSION=2023.05.001
 SHORTVERSION=2025.06.002
 VERSION=new_release_${SHORTVERSION}
+source ../libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
+get_elpa $SHORTVERSION
 echo mpif90 is `which mpif90`
-if [ -f  elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz ]; then
-    echo "using existing"  elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-else
-    rm -rf elpa*
-    ELPA_URL=("https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/${VERSION}/elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz" \
-		  "https://web.archive.org/web/20260214233634/https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/new_release_2025.06.002/elpa-new_release_2025.06.002.tar.gz")
-    #    curl -L https://github.com/marekandreas/elpa/archive/refs/tags/${VERSION}.tar.gz -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-    for url in  "${ELPA_URL[@]}"
-    do
-	echo using $url
-	tries=1
-	until [ "$tries" -ge 3 ]
-	do
-	    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then echo sleeping for 9s ;sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-	    curl -L --progress-bar  $url -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-	    gzip -t elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-	    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-	    tries=$((tries+1))
-	done
-	gzip -t elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-	if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-    done
-fi
 tar xzf elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
 ln -sf elpa-${VERSION} elpa
 cd elpa
diff --git a/src/libext/libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh b/src/libext/libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7dd420ac48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libext/libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+
+get_elpa(){
+    if [[ $# -eq 0 ]] ; then
+	elpa_shortv=2025.06.002
+    else
+	elpa_shortv=$1
+    fi
+    echo "Parameter #1 is $1"
+    VERSION=new_release_${elpa_shortv}
+    echo ELPA VERSION is $VERSION
+    if [ -f  elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz ]; then
+	echo "using existing"  elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
+    else
+	rm -rf elpa*
+	ELPA_URL=("https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/${VERSION}/elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz" \
+		      "https://web.archive.org/web/20260214233634/https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/elpa/elpa/-/archive/new_release_2025.06.002/elpa-new_release_2025.06.002.tar.gz")
+	for url in  "${ELPA_URL[@]}"
+	do
+	    echo using $url
+	    tries=1
+	    until [ "$tries" -ge 3 ]
+	    do
+		if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then echo sleeping for 9s ;sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
+		curl -L --progress-bar  $url -o elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz
+		gzip -t elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
+		if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
+		tries=$((tries+1))
+	    done
+	    gzip -t elpa-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
+	    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then return 0 ;  fi
+	done
+    fi
+    return 1
+}
+get_scalapack(){
+    if [[ $# -eq 0 ]] ; then
+	#	version=2.1.0
+ 	COMMIT=a23c2cdc6586c427686f6097ae66bb54ef693571
+	#COMMIT=bd1768b91262b4cdc7dd5f87b373b9b18eda4636
+	#COMMIT=b935167ca4d244735abc04a3cd4f6d56699702a0
+    else
+	COMMIT=$1
+    fi
+    echo "Parameter #1 is $1"
+    echo Scalapack commit is $COMMIT
+    rm -rf scalapack 
+    if [[ -f "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz" ]]; then
+	echo "using existing"  "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz"
+    else
+	echo "downloading"  "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz"
+	rm -f scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
+	tries=1
+	until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ]
+	do
+	    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
+	    curl -L https://github.com/Reference-ScaLAPACK/scalapack/archive/$COMMIT.tar.gz -o scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
+	    # check tar.gz integrity
+	    gzip -t scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
+	    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then return 0 ;  fi
+	    tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
+    fi
+    return 1
+}
+
+get_openblas()
+{
+    if [[ $# -eq 0 ]] ; then
+	VERSION=0.3.29
+    else
+	VERSION=$1
+    fi
+    echo "Parameter #1 is $1"
+    echo OpenBLAS VERSION is $VERSION
+    if [ -f  OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz ]; then
+	echo "using existing"  OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz
+    else
+	rm -rf OpenBLAS* openblas*
+	tries=1
+	until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ]
+	do
+	    if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
+	    curl -L https://github.com/OpenMathLib/OpenBLAS/archive/v${VERSION}.tar.gz -o OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz ;
+	    # check tar.gz integrity
+	    gzip -t OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
+	    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then return 0 ;  fi
+	    tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
+    fi
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then echo  "openBLAS tarball not ready"; rm -f OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz; return 1 ; fi
+    return 0
+}
diff --git a/src/libext/openblas/build_openblas.sh b/src/libext/openblas/build_openblas.sh
index 00accc8589..5981797aa3 100755
--- a/src/libext/openblas/build_openblas.sh
+++ b/src/libext/openblas/build_openblas.sh
@@ -1,23 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 #set -v
 arch=`uname -m`
+source ../libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
 VERSION=0.3.29
-#COMMIT=974acb39ff86121a5a94be4853f58bd728b56b81
-BRANCH=develop
-if [ -f  OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz ]; then
-    echo "using existing"  OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz
-else
-    rm -rf OpenBLAS*
-    tries=1 ; until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ] ; do
-		  if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-		  curl -L https://github.com/OpenMathLib/OpenBLAS/archive/v${VERSION}.tar.gz -o OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz ;
-		  # check tar.gz integrity
-		  gzip -t OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-		  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-		  tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
-fi
-gzip -t OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then echo  "openBLAS tarball not ready"; rm -f OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz; exit 1 ; fi
+get_openblas $VERSION
 tar xzf OpenBLAS-${VERSION}.tar.gz
 ln -sf OpenBLAS-${VERSION} OpenBLAS
 cd OpenBLAS
diff --git a/src/libext/scalapack/build_scalapa.sh b/src/libext/scalapack/build_scalapa.sh
index b917f12901..a3f35ff1b0 100755
--- a/src/libext/scalapack/build_scalapa.sh
+++ b/src/libext/scalapack/build_scalapa.sh
@@ -139,31 +139,11 @@ fi
 if [[ ! -z "$BUILD_OPENBLAS"   ]] ; then
     BLASOPT="-L`pwd`/../lib -lnwc_openblas"
 fi
-#git clone https://github.com/scibuilder/scalapack.git
-#svn co --non-interactive --trust-server-cert https://icl.utk.edu/svn/scalapack-dev/scalapack/trunk/ scalapack
-VERSION=2.1.0
-#curl -L https://github.com/Reference-ScaLAPACK/scalapack/archive/v${VERSION}.tar.gz -o scalapack.tgz
-#COMMIT=bc6cad585362aa58e05186bb85d4b619080c45a9
-#COMMIT=ea5d20668a6b8bbee645b7ffe44623c623969d33
-COMMIT=5bad7487f496c811192334640ce4d3fc5f88144b
-COMMIT=782e739f8eb0e7f4d51ad7dd23fc1d03dc99d240
+source ../libext_utils/getfiles_utils.sh
 COMMIT=a23c2cdc6586c427686f6097ae66bb54ef693571
 #COMMIT=bd1768b91262b4cdc7dd5f87b373b9b18eda4636
 #COMMIT=b935167ca4d244735abc04a3cd4f6d56699702a0
-rm -rf scalapack 
-if [[ -f "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz" ]]; then
-    echo "using existing"  "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz"
-else
-    echo "downloading"  "scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz"
-    rm -f scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
-    tries=1 ; until [ "$tries" -ge 6 ] ; do
-		  if [ "$tries" -gt 1 ]; then sleep 9; echo attempt no.  $tries ; fi
-		  curl -L https://github.com/Reference-ScaLAPACK/scalapack/archive/$COMMIT.tar.gz -o scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
-		  # check tar.gz integrity
-		  gzip -t scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz >&  /dev/null
-		  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break ;  fi
-		  tries=$((tries+1)) ;  done
-fi
+get_scalapack $COMMIT
 tar xzf scalapack-$COMMIT.tar.gz
 ln -sf scalapack-*$COMMIT scalapack
 #ln -sf scalapack-${VERSION} scalapack
diff --git a/travis/cache_fetch.sh b/travis/cache_fetch.sh
index 178b2707c2..44b36d6472 100755
--- a/travis/cache_fetch.sh
+++ b/travis/cache_fetch.sh
@@ -14,4 +14,5 @@ set -v
 	  ls -lart /home/runner/work/nwchem/nwchem/src/libext/mpich || true
 	  rsync -av ~/cache/dftd3.tgz src/nwpw/nwpwlib/nwpwxc/. || true
 	  rsync -av ~/cache/OpenBLAS*gz src/libext/openblas/. || true
-          rsync -av ~/cache/scalapack*zip src/libext/scalapack/. || true
+          rsync -av ~/cache/scalapack*tar*gz src/libext/scalapack/. || true
+          rsync -av ~/cache/elpa*tar*gz src/libext/elpa/. || true