diff --git a/.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh b/.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..34b665680d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+if [[ ! ${jamulus_buildversionstring:-} =~ [0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ ]]; then
+    echo "Environment variable jamulus_buildversionstring has to be set to a valid version string"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+setup() {
+    echo "Update system..."
+    sudo apt-get -qq update
+
+    echo "Install dependencies..."
+    sudo apt-get -qq --no-install-recommends -y install devscripts build-essential debhelper libjack-jackd2-dev qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev-tools
+}
+
+build_app_as_deb() {
+    ./linux/deploy_deb.sh
+}
+
+pass_artifacts_to_job() {
+    mkdir deploy
+
+    # rename headless first, so wildcard pattern matches only one file each
+    artifact_deploy_filename_1="jamulus_headless_${jamulus_buildversionstring}_ubuntu_amd64.deb"
+    echo "Moving headless build artifact to deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_1}"
+    mv ../jamulus-headless*_amd64.deb "./deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_1}"
+    echo "::set-output name=artifact_1::${artifact_deploy_filename_1}"
+
+    artifact_deploy_filename_2="jamulus_${jamulus_buildversionstring}_ubuntu_amd64.deb"
+    echo "Moving regular build artifact to deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_2}"
+    mv ../jamulus*_amd64.deb "./deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_2}"
+    echo "::set-output name=artifact_2::${artifact_deploy_filename_2}"
+}
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+    setup)
+        setup
+        ;;
+    build)
+        build_app_as_deb
+        ;;
+    get-artifacts)
+        pass_artifacts_to_job
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Unknown stage '${1:-}'"
+        exit 1
+esac
diff --git a/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml b/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
index c233c223f2..f440a9041a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ jobs:
           - config_name:            Linux .deb (artifacts+codeQL)
             target_os:              linux
             building_on_os:         ubuntu-18.04
-            cmd1_prebuild:          "./autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_1_prepare.sh"
-            cmd2_build:             "./autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_2_build.sh"
-            cmd3_postbuild:         "./autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_3_copy_files.sh"
+            cmd1_prebuild:          ./.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh setup
+            cmd2_build:             ./.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh build
+            cmd3_postbuild:         ./.github/autobuild/linux_deb.sh get-artifacts
             run_codeql:             true
 
           - config_name:            MacOS (artifacts+codeQL)
diff --git a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_1_prepare.sh b/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_1_prepare.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index a939f63bf8..0000000000
--- a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_1_prepare.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh -e
-
-# autobuild_1_prepare: set up environment, install Qt & dependencies
-
-
-###################
-###  PROCEDURE  ###
-###################
-
-# Sets up the environment for autobuild on Linux
-
-echo "Update system..."
-sudo apt-get -qq update
-
-echo "Install dependencies..."
-sudo apt-get -qq --no-install-recommends -y install devscripts build-essential debhelper libjack-jackd2-dev qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev-tools
diff --git a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_2_build.sh b/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_2_build.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index f065da6f26..0000000000
--- a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_2_build.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# autobuild_2_build: actual build process
-
-
-####################
-###  PARAMETERS  ###
-####################
-
-source $(dirname $(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"))/../ensure_THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH.sh
-
-###################
-###  PROCEDURE  ###
-###################
-
-cd "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"
-
-sh ./linux/deploy_deb.sh
diff --git a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_3_copy_files.sh b/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_3_copy_files.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d8e2bd03a7..0000000000
--- a/autobuild/linux/autobuild_deb_3_copy_files.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# autobuild_3_copy_files: copy the built files to deploy folder
-
-
-####################
-###  PARAMETERS  ###
-####################
-
-source $(dirname $(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"))/../ensure_THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH.sh
-
-###################
-###  PROCEDURE  ###
-###################
-
-
-mkdir ${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}/deploy
-
-
-echo ""
-echo ""
-echo "ls GITROOT/deploy/"
-ls "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/deploy/
-echo ""
-
-echo ""
-echo ""
-echo "ls GITROOT/../"
-ls "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/../
-echo ""
-
-#debuild -b -us -uc -aarmhf
-# copy for auto release
-#cp ${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}/../*.deb ${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}/deploy/
-
-echo ""
-echo ""
-echo "ls GITROOT/deploy/"
-ls "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/deploy/
-echo ""
-
-
-
-#move/rename headless first, so wildcard pattern matches only one file each
-echo ""
-echo ""
-artifact_deploy_filename_1=jamulus_headless_${jamulus_buildversionstring}_ubuntu_amd64.deb
-echo "Move/Rename the built file to deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_1}"
-mv "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/../jamulus-headless*_amd64.deb "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/deploy/"${artifact_deploy_filename_1}"
-
-#move/rename normal second
-echo ""
-echo ""
-artifact_deploy_filename_2=jamulus_${jamulus_buildversionstring}_ubuntu_amd64.deb
-echo "Move/Rename the built file to deploy/${artifact_deploy_filename_2}"
-mv "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/../jamulus*_amd64.deb "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/deploy/"${artifact_deploy_filename_2}"
-
-
-echo ""
-echo ""
-echo "ls GITROOT/deploy/"
-ls "${THIS_JAMULUS_PROJECT_PATH}"/deploy/
-echo ""
-
-
-github_output_value()
-{
-  echo "github_output_value() ${1} = ${2}"
-  echo "::set-output name=${1}::${2}"
-}
-
-github_output_value artifact_1 ${artifact_deploy_filename_1}
-github_output_value artifact_2 ${artifact_deploy_filename_2}
diff --git a/linux/deploy_deb.sh b/linux/deploy_deb.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755