diff --git a/install-tpl.sh b/install-tpl.sh
index cabad44e5d..0e177d4e7f 100755
--- a/install-tpl.sh
+++ b/install-tpl.sh
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ SZIP (via libaec library)${txtrst}"
         szip_version="1.0.4"
 
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/szip
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/szip || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd libaec-${szip_version}
+            cd libaec-${szip_version} || exit
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
 
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} MPI=${MPI} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
 
@@ -268,8 +268,8 @@ else
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ SZIP${txtrst}"
         szip_version="2.1.1"
 
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/szip
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/szip || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -283,9 +283,9 @@ else
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd szip-${szip_version}
+            cd szip-${szip_version} || exit
             # mkdir build
-            # cd build
+            # cd build || exit
 
             ./configure --prefix=${INSTALL_PATH}
             # CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} MPI=${MPI} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ ZLIB-NG${txtrst}"
             zlib_ng_version="develop"
 
-            cd $ACCESS
-            cd TPL
+            cd $ACCESS || exit
+            cd TPL || exit
             if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
             then
                 echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ then
             if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
             then
                 echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-                cd zlib-ng
+                cd zlib-ng || exit
                 git checkout ${zlib_ng_version}
                 rm -rf build
                 mkdir build
@@ -351,8 +351,8 @@ then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ ZLIB${txtrst}"
             zlib_version="1.2.12"
 
-            cd $ACCESS
-            cd TPL
+            cd $ACCESS || exit
+            cd TPL || exit
             if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
             then
                 echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ then
             if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
             then
                 echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-                cd zlib-${zlib_version}
+                cd zlib-${zlib_version} || exit
                 ./configure --prefix=${INSTALL_PATH}
                 if [[ $? != 0 ]]
                 then
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ then
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    cd $ACCESS
-    cd TPL/hdf5
+    cd $ACCESS || exit
+    cd TPL/hdf5 || exit
     if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -437,10 +437,10 @@ then
     if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-        cd hdf5-${hdf_version}
+        cd hdf5-${hdf_version} || exit
         rm -rf build
         mkdir build
-        cd build
+        cd build || exit
         CRAY=${CRAY} H5VERSION=${H5VERSION} DEBUG=${DEBUG} SHARED=${SHARED} NEEDS_ZLIB=${NEEDS_ZLIB} NEEDS_SZIP=${NEEDS_SZIP} MPI=${MPI} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
         #CRAY=${CRAY} H5VERSION=${H5VERSION} DEBUG=${DEBUG} SHARED=${SHARED} NEEDS_ZLIB=${NEEDS_ZLIB} NEEDS_SZIP=${NEEDS_SZIP} MPI=${MPI} bash ../runconfigure.sh
         if [[ $? != 0 ]]
@@ -467,8 +467,8 @@ then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ PnetCDF${txtrst}"
         pnet_version="1.12.2"
         pnet_base="pnetcdf"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/pnetcdf
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/pnetcdf || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd ${pnet_base}-${pnet_version}
+            cd ${pnet_base}-${pnet_version} || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} BB=${BB} DEBUG=${DEBUG} SHARED=${SHARED} bash ../runconfigure.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -512,8 +512,8 @@ fi
 if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libnetcdf.${LD_EXT} ]
 then
     echo "${txtgrn}+++ NetCDF${txtrst}"
-    cd $ACCESS
-    cd TPL/netcdf
+    cd $ACCESS || exit
+    cd TPL/netcdf || exit
     if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -527,14 +527,14 @@ then
     if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-        cd netcdf-c
+        cd netcdf-c || exit
         if [ "$net_version" != "master" ]
            then
                git checkout $net_version
         fi
         rm -rf build
         mkdir build
-        cd build
+        cd build || exit
         CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} NEEDS_ZLIB=${NEEDS_ZLIB} MPI=${MPI} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
         if [[ $? != 0 ]]
         then
@@ -558,8 +558,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libcgns.${LD_EXT} ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ CGNS${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/cgns
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/cgns || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -570,11 +570,11 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd CGNS
+            cd CGNS || exit
             git checkout v4.3.0
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} NEEDS_ZLIB=${NEEDS_ZLIB} MPI=${MPI} bash ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -600,8 +600,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libmetis.a ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Metis${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/metis
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/metis || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd METIS-5.1.0.1
+            cd METIS-5.1.0.1 || exit
             sed 's/TYPEWIDTH 32/TYPEWIDTH 64/' src/include/metis.h > tmp
             mv tmp src/include/metis.h
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} bash ../runconfigure.sh
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ then
                 echo 1>&2 ${txtred}couldn\'t configure Metis. exiting.${txtrst}
                 exit 1
             fi
-            cd build; make -j${JOBS} && ${SUDO} make install
+            cd build || exit; make -j${JOBS} && ${SUDO} make install
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
                 echo 1>&2 ${txtred}couldn\'t build Metis. exiting.${txtrst}
@@ -642,8 +642,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libparmetis.a ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ ParMETIS${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/parmetis
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/parmetis || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd parmetis
+            cd parmetis || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} MPI=${MPI} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} bash ../runconfigure.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -685,8 +685,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libmatio.${LD_EXT} ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ MatIO${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/matio
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/matio || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -697,10 +697,10 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd matio
+            cd matio || exit
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} NEEDS_ZLIB=${NEEDS_ZLIB} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -725,8 +725,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/include/fmt/core.h ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ FMT${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/fmt
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/fmt || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -737,10 +737,10 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd fmt
+            cd fmt || exit
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             cmake -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=${CXX} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=${INSTALL_PATH} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR:PATH=lib -DFMT_TEST:BOOL=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=${SHARED} ..
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -767,8 +767,8 @@ then
     then
         kokkos_version="2.8.00"
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ KOKKOS${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/kokkos
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/kokkos || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -782,10 +782,10 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd kokkos-${kokkos_version}
+            cd kokkos-${kokkos_version} || exit
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CUDA=${CUDA} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} MPI=${MPI} bash ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -811,8 +811,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libadios2.${LD_EXT} ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ ADIOS2${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/adios2
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/adios2 || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -823,11 +823,11 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd ADIOS2
+            cd ADIOS2 || exit
             git checkout v2.5.0
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} MPI=${MPI} DEBUG=${DEBUG} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -853,8 +853,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libcatalyst.${LD_EXT} ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ Catalyst2${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/catalyst2
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/catalyst2 || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -865,11 +865,11 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd catalyst
+            cd catalyst || exit
                   git checkout master #todo: a specific version
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} MPI=${MPI} DEBUG=${DEBUG} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -895,8 +895,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/lib/libgtest.${LD_EXT} ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ gtest${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/gtest
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/gtest || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -907,11 +907,11 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd googletest
+            cd googletest || exit
             git checkout release-1.11.0
             rm -rf build
             mkdir build
-            cd build
+            cd build || exit
             CRAY=${CRAY} SHARED=${SHARED} DEBUG=${DEBUG} bash -x ../../runcmake.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -937,8 +937,8 @@ then
     if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/bin/env_parallel ]
     then
         echo "${txtgrn}+++ GNU Parallel${txtrst}"
-        cd $ACCESS
-        cd TPL/parallel
+        cd $ACCESS || exit
+        cd TPL/parallel || exit
         if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ then
         if [ "$BUILD" == "YES" ]
         then
             echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
-            cd parallel-*
+            cd parallel-* || exit
             bash ../runconfigure.sh
             if [[ $? != 0 ]]
             then
@@ -977,8 +977,8 @@ then
   then
     faodel_base="faodel"
     echo "${txtgrn}+++ Faodel${txtrst}"
-    cd $ACCESS
-    cd TPL/faodel
+    cd $ACCESS || exit
+    cd TPL/faodel || exit
     if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
     then
       echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -990,7 +990,7 @@ then
     then
       echo "${txtgrn}+++ Configuring, Building, and Installing...${txtrst}"
       mkdir ${faodel_base}/build
-      cd ${faodel_base}/build
+      cd ${faodel_base}/build || exit
       echo "------------- ${faodel_base}"
       echo "------------- $(pwd)"
       MPI=${MPI} bash ../../runcmake.sh
@@ -1018,12 +1018,12 @@ then
   if [ "$FORCE" == "YES" ] || ! [ -e $INSTALL_PATH/include/cereal/archives/portable_binary.hpp ]
   then
     echo "${txtgrn}+++ Cereal${txtrst}"
-    cd $ACCESS
+    cd $ACCESS || exit
     CEREAL_DIR="TPL/cereal"
     if [ ! -d "${CEREAL_DIR}" ]; then
       mkdir ${CEREAL_DIR}
     fi
-    cd ${CEREAL}
+    cd ${CEREAL} || exit
     if [ "$DOWNLOAD" == "YES" ]
     then
       echo "${txtgrn}+++ Downloading...${txtrst}"
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ then
 fi
 
 # ==================================
-cd $ACCESS
+cd $ACCESS || exit
 #ls -l include
 #ls -l bin
 #ls -l lib