diff --git a/.github/workflows/all-lints.yml b/.github/workflows/all-lints.yml
index 4b90a36..de59ecf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/all-lints.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/all-lints.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,23 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
-        python-version: ['3.6', '3.7', '3.8', '3.9', '3.10']
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-13, macos-latest, windows-latest]
+        python-version: ['3.8', '3.9', '3.10', '3.11', '3.12']
+        exclude:
+          - os: macos-latest
+            python-version: 3.8
+          - os: macos-latest
+            python-version: 3.9
+          - os: macos-latest
+            python-version: 3.10
+          - os: macos-13
+            python-version: 3.11
+          - os: macos-13
+            python-version: 3.12
+
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
-    - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@master
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: ./
       with:
         python-root-list: "./tests/*.py ./tests/subtest/*.py"
         use-black: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-python-install.yml b/.github/workflows/test-python-install.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..038dcd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-python-install.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+on:
+  push:
+  pull_request:
+name: Check python installation
+jobs:
+  pythoninstall:
+    name: Test Python install
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [ubuntu-latest]
+        python-version: ['3.11']
+        use-external-python: [true, false]
+    env:
+      python-test-package: python-dummy
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Install Python if required
+      if: ${{ matrix.use-external-python }}
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+
+    - name: Install a test dependency if external Python is used
+      if: ${{ matrix.use-external-python }}
+      run:
+        pip install ${{ env.python-test-package }}
+
+    - name: Test Action usage
+      uses: ./
+      with:
+        python-root-list: "./tests/*.py ./tests/subtest/*.py"
+        use-black: true
+        use-isort: true
+        use-mypy: true
+        use-pycodestyle: true
+        use-pydocstyle: true
+        extra-pycodestyle-options: "--max-line-length=88"
+        use-pylint: false
+        use-flake8: false
+        use-vulture: true
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        use-external-python: ${{ matrix.use-external-python }}
+
+    - name: Check if test dependency exists after execution
+      run: |
+        pip freeze > all-deps.txt
+        should_appear=$( if [[ "${{ matrix.use-external-python }}" == "true" ]]; then echo 0; else echo 1; fi )
+        line_exists=$( grep -qF "${{ env.python-test-package }}" "all-deps.txt"; echo $? )
+        echo "test package should be installed: ${{ matrix.use-external-python }}"
+        echo "test package is present (0 = present): ${line_exists}"
+        cat all-deps.txt
+        test "${should_appear}" == "${line_exists}"
+      
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f1b3a49..34e8534 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ selected linters.
 - Zero configuration based: Add a single line in your CI and done!
 - GitHub Annotations on PR: Highlights issues inline on the PR diff.
 - Most of the popular community trusted linters in one place.
+- Allows to use either a new or existing Python version using `use-external-python`.
+See [this example](examples/actions-use_external_python.yml).
 
 ## Linters supported
 
@@ -30,23 +32,23 @@ Basic:
 
 ```yml
 steps:
-  - uses: actions/checkout@v1
-  - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v3
+  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v4
 ```
 
 Options:
 
 ```yml
 steps:
-  - uses: actions/checkout@v1
-  - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v3
+  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v4
     with:
       python-root-list: "src/ tests/*"  # accepts wildcards
       use-pycodestyle: false
       use-mypy: false
       use-vulture: true
       extra-pylint-options: "--output-format="colorized"
-      python-version: "3.7"
+      python-version: "3.8"
 ```
 
 ### Examples
@@ -54,28 +56,17 @@ steps:
 
 ## Details
 
-Uses `actions/setup-python@v2`. Only python `3.6` - `3.10` version are tested since
-they are by far most common now. Other python `3.x` versions should also work.
+Uses `actions/setup-python@v5`. Only python `3.8` - `3.12` versions are tested.
+Python `3.x` versions prior to `3.8` are not tested since they are EOL now.
 Any python `2.x` versions are unsupported! You can lint on Linux, Windows and MacOS.
 
-The lintner versions are:
-
-```bash
-pycodestyle==2.8.0
-pydocstyle==6.1.1
-pylint==2.12.1
-mypy==0.910
-black==21.11b1
-flake8==4.0.1
-vulture==2.3
-isort==5.10.1
-```
+The linter versions are defined in [requirements.txt](requirements.txt).
 
 ## IMPORTANT - test environment
 
-The python version is set by `actions/setup-python@v2` using composite actions. This
+The python version is set by `actions/setup-python@v5` using composite actions. This
 means that the the action will change python you might have previously set with
-`actions/setup-python@v2`. There are two ways to circumvent this.
+`actions/setup-python@v5`. There are two ways to circumvent this.
 
 - Keep the lintnig action separated from others
 - Use it at the and of your workflow when the change in python version will not
@@ -93,14 +84,14 @@ jobs:
     name: Lint Python
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
-    - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         python-version: 3.9
     - run: |
         python --version  # this will output 3.9 now
         run tests or other things using python ...
-    - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v3
+    - uses: marian-code/python-lint-annotate@v4
       with:
         python-root-list: "./tests/*.py"
         use-black: true
@@ -112,9 +103,9 @@ jobs:
         use-pylint: false
         use-flake8: false
         use-vulture: true
-        python-version: "3.7"
+        python-version: "3.8"
     - run: |
-        python --version  # this will output 3.7 now !!!
+        python --version  # this will output 3.8 now !!!
 ```
 
 ## License
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 5ec2538..746853d 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -76,12 +76,18 @@ inputs:
     description: "Set desired python version with this keyword"
     required: false
     default: "3.8"
+  use-external-python:
+    description: "false (default): Install a new Python for this action; true: use the python installation in the previous steps"
+    type: boolean
+    required: false
+    default: false
 
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
     - name: Setup python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      if: ${{ ! inputs.use-external-python }}
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
         architecture: x64
@@ -93,13 +99,13 @@ runs:
     - name: Windows install dependencies
       if: ${{ runner.os == 'Windows' }}
       run:  |
-        pip install -r ${{ github.action_path }}\requirements.txt
+        pip install -r ${{ github.action_path }}\requirements.txt --ignore-installed
         echo "path_sep=" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       shell: pwsh
 
     - name: Posix install dependencies
       if: ${{ runner.os != 'Windows' }}
-      run:  pip install -r ${{ github.action_path }}/requirements.txt
+      run:  pip install -r ${{ github.action_path }}/requirements.txt --ignore-installed
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Lint on Windows
diff --git a/examples/actions-only_changed_files.yml b/examples/actions-only_changed_files.yml
index 02209e4..3bb23bd 100644
--- a/examples/actions-only_changed_files.yml
+++ b/examples/actions-only_changed_files.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ jobs:
     name: Lint
     steps:
       - name: Check out source repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0  # This is necessary to get the commits
       - name: Set up Python environment
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.8"
       - name: Get changed python files between base and head
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 73b61ff..95890b8 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-black==21.11b1
-flake8==4.0.1
-isort==5.10.1
-mypy~=0.961
-pycodestyle==2.8.0
-pydocstyle==6.1.1
-pylint==2.12.1
-vulture==2.3
\ No newline at end of file
+black==24.3.0
+flake8==7.0.0
+isort==5.13.2
+mypy~=1.9.0
+pycodestyle==2.11.1
+pydocstyle==6.3.0
+pylint==3.1.0
+vulture==2.11