diff --git a/opp_env/database/external.py b/opp_env/database/external.py
index 882396ac..85ccaea7 100644
--- a/opp_env/database/external.py
+++ b/opp_env/database/external.py
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
                 "cd Topologies/topo_router",
                 """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "release" ]; then REASE_BIN=$(echo $REASE_ROOT/ReaSE/out/*-release/src/rease); fi""",
                 """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "debug" ]; then REASE_BIN=$(echo $REASE_ROOT/ReaSE/out/*-debug/src/rease); fi""",
-                "$REASE_BIN -n .:../../ReaSE/src:$INET_ROOT/src -u Cmdenv --sim-time-limit=10s > /dev/null",
+                "$REASE_BIN -n .:../../ReaSE/src:$INET_ROOT/src -u Cmdenv --sim-time-limit=10s &> /dev/null",
             ],
             "nix_packages": ["libpcap"],
             "required_projects": {"omnetpp": ["4.1.0"], "inet": ["20100323"]},
@@ -1366,7 +1366,10 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
         {
             # DONE - ok
             # UPDATE: error in example sim in dbg; only tested in release
-            # TODO: what error?
+            # the error:
+            # ASSERT: Condition 'frame->getByteLength() >= MIN_ETHERNET_FRAME_BYTES' does not hold in function 'processFrameFromUpperLayer' 
+            # at inet/linklayer/ethernet/EtherMACFullDuplex.cc:126 -- in module (inet::EtherMACFullDuplex) NetworkDaisyChain.gPtpMaster.eth[0].mac 
+            # (id=178), at t=0.135s, event #20
             "name": "gptp", "version": "20200311",      # last commit of master branch as of time of writing
             "description": "IEEE 802.1AS gPTP for Clock Synchronization",
             "metadata": {
@@ -1374,7 +1377,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
             },
             "smoke_test_commands": [
                 """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "release" ]; then cd IEEE8021AS/simulations && ../src/IEEE8021AS -n $INET_ROOT/src:.:../src -c Network_daisy_chain -u Cmdenv --sim-time-limit=10s > /dev/null; fi""",
-                """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "debug" ]; then echo 'Skipping test in debug mode, because the example simulation doesn't work in debug due to an error.'; fi""",
+                """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "debug" ]; then echo 'Skipping test in debug mode, because the example simulation does not work in debug due to an error.'; fi""",
             ],
             "required_projects": {"omnetpp": ["5.2.*"], "inet": ["3.6.3"]},
             # "git_url": "https://gitlab.amd.e-technik.uni-rostock.de/peter.danielis/gptp-implementation.git",
@@ -1412,7 +1415,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
         },
 
         {
-            # DONE - release only
+            # DONE - release only; this project links with the inet release libs
             "name": "quagga", "version": "20090803",
             "description": "Port of the Quagga routing daemon into the INET Framework",
             "metadata": {
@@ -1420,7 +1423,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
             },
             "smoke_test_commands": [
                 """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "release" ]; then cd examples/simpleTest && ./run -c OSPF1 -u Cmdenv --sim-time-limit=10s > /dev/null; fi""",
-                """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "debug" ]; then echo 'Skipping test in debug mode.'; fi""",
+                """if [ "$BUILD_MODE" = "debug" ]; then echo 'Skipping test in debug mode, because currently this project is only built in release mode.'; fi""",
             ],
             "required_projects": {"omnetpp": ["4.1.*"], "inet": ["20100323"]},
             "download_url": "https://github.com/inet-framework/inet-quagga/archive/refs/tags/quagga-20090803.tar.gz",
@@ -1432,7 +1435,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
                 "sed -i 's|$DIR/../../inet|$INET_ROOT|g' src/run_inet-quagga",
                 "sed -i 's|include ../../../../Makefile.inc|#include ../../../../Makefile.inc|g' src/quaggasrc/*/*/Makefile",
             ],
-            "build_commands": ["make makefiles && make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES MODE=$BUILD_MODE && rm src/quagga-20090803"],     # rm is a kludge
+            "build_commands": ["make makefiles && make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES MODE=release && rm src/quagga-20090803"],     # rm is a kludge
             "clean_commands": ["make clean"],
         },
 
diff --git a/opp_env/database/inet.py b/opp_env/database/inet.py
index 17127f02..6e0acea2 100644
--- a/opp_env/database/inet.py
+++ b/opp_env/database/inet.py
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
     ]
 
 inet_20100323 = {
+    # release only, because dependent projects (such as quagga) link with the release mode lib
     "name": "inet", "version": "20100323",
     "required_projects": {"omnetpp": ["4.1.0"]},        # TODO: try with 4.1.* -> build error
     "download_url": "https://github.com/inet-framework/inet/releases/download/master_20100323/inet-20100323-src.tgz",
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ def get_project_descriptions():
         "sed -i 's|info\\[\\]|info[0]|' src/util/headerserializers/headers/sctp.h",
         "sed -i 's|addr.sin_len|// addr.sin_len|' src/linklayer/ext/*.cc",  # ugly hack? this is needed on apple
     ],
-    "build_commands": ["make makefiles && make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES MODE=$BUILD_MODE"],
+    "build_commands": ["make makefiles && make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES MODE=release"],
     "clean_commands": ["make clean"],
 }