diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 263525da2..2ed6f2e36 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -7,10 +7,18 @@ RUN apt-get -y update
 
 # Get "essential" tools and libraries
 RUN apt-get -y install build-essential \
-  && apt-get -y install cmake curl git file gfortran-12 ksh m4 python3 tcsh time wget vim \
+  && apt-get -y install cmake cmake-curses-gui curl git file gfortran-12 ksh m4 python3 tcsh time wget vim \
   && apt-get -y install libnetcdf-pnetcdf-19 libnetcdff7 libnetcdf-dev libnetcdff-dev libxml2 \
   && apt-get -y install python3-pip python3.11-venv
 RUN apt-get -y install openmpi-bin libopenmpi-dev
+RUN apt-get -y install emacs-nox
+
+# Set up python virtual environment and install needed packages
+ENV VIRTUAL_ENV=/home/venv
+RUN python3 -m venv $VIRTUAL_ENV
+ENV PATH="$VIRTUAL_ENV/bin:$PATH"
+RUN . $VIRTUAL_ENV/bin/activate && pip3 install f90nml netcdf4
+RUN ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python
 
 #Compiler environment variables
 ENV CC=/usr/bin/gcc
@@ -31,9 +39,6 @@ RUN groupadd comusers -g 9999 \
  && chown -R comuser:comusers /comsoftware \
  && chmod -R 6755 /comsoftware
 
-# Link version-specific aliases (python3 will be created later with virtual environment)
-RUN ln -s ~comuser/.venv/bin/python3 /usr/local/bin/python
-
 # all root steps completed above, now continue below as regular userID comuser
 USER comuser
 WORKDIR /home
@@ -46,21 +51,21 @@ RUN mkdir -p $NCEPLIBS_DIR/src && cd $NCEPLIBS_DIR/src \
   && git clone -b v2.4.1 --recursive https://github.com/NOAA-EMC/NCEPLIBS-bacio \
   && mkdir NCEPLIBS-bacio/build && cd NCEPLIBS-bacio/build \
   && cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$NCEPLIBS_DIR .. \
-  && make VERBOSE=1 \
+  && make VERBOSE=1 -j \
   && make install
 
 RUN cd $NCEPLIBS_DIR/src \
   && git clone -b v2.3.3 --recursive https://github.com/NOAA-EMC/NCEPLIBS-sp \
   && mkdir NCEPLIBS-sp/build && cd NCEPLIBS-sp/build \
   && cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$NCEPLIBS_DIR .. \
-  && make VERBOSE=1 \
+  && make VERBOSE=1 -j \
   && make install
 
 RUN cd $NCEPLIBS_DIR/src \
   && git clone -b v2.11.0 --recursive https://github.com/NOAA-EMC/NCEPLIBS-w3emc \
   && mkdir NCEPLIBS-w3emc/build && cd NCEPLIBS-w3emc/build \
   && cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$NCEPLIBS_DIR .. \
-  && make VERBOSE=1 \
+  && make VERBOSE=1 -j \
   && make install
 
 ENV bacio_ROOT=/comsoftware/nceplibs
@@ -71,15 +76,15 @@ ENV w3emc_ROOT=/comsoftware/nceplibs
 RUN cd /comsoftware \
   && git clone --recursive -b main https://github.com/NCAR/ccpp-scm
 
+RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm \
+  && mkdir bin \
+  && cd bin
+RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin \
+  && cmake ../src \
+  && make -j
 RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/ \
   && ./contrib/get_all_static_data.sh \
   && ./contrib/get_thompson_tables.sh
-# RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm \
-#   && mkdir bin \
-#   && cd bin
-# RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin \
-#   && cmake ../src \
-#   && make -j4
 
 # The analysis scripts have options for using LaTeX when making figure labels.
 # If you would like to install LaTeK, uncomment the section below.
@@ -96,9 +101,3 @@ ENV SCM_ROOT=/comsoftware/ccpp-scm/
 
 # For interactive use, vim mouse settings are infuriating
 RUN echo "set mouse=" > ~/.vimrc
-
-# Set up python virtual environment and install needed packages
-ENV VIRTUAL_ENV=~/.venv
-RUN python3 -m venv $VIRTUAL_ENV
-ENV PATH="$VIRTUAL_ENV/bin:$PATH"
-RUN pip3 install f90nml==1.4.4 netcdf4==1.6.5