diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI-unixish.yml b/.github/workflows/CI-unixish.yml
index 4a7d94c4057..8fb5c8d76d6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI-unixish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI-unixish.yml
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run CMake install
         run: |
           cmake --build cmake.output --target install
+          # TODO: validate the installed files
 
       - name: Run CMake on ubuntu (no CLI)
         if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-22.04'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
index f9d108eefc9..ce73819bc70 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ defaults:
 
 jobs:
 
+  # TODO: use Debug build to speed it up?
   build_qt:
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -68,7 +69,10 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run CMake install
         run: |
+          rem TODO: this performs a Debug build
+          rem TODO: the Qt DLLS are not being installed (because of the missing windeployqt?)
           cmake --build build --target install
+          rem TODO: validate the installed files
 
   build_cmake_cxxstd:
     strategy:
diff --git a/cli/CMakeLists.txt b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
index f63f3291849..52103bdb8ec 100644
--- a/cli/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,27 +40,32 @@ if (BUILD_CLI)
     endif()
 
     install(TARGETS cppcheck
-        RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR}
+        RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
         COMPONENT applications)
 
     install(PROGRAMS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/htmlreport/cppcheck-htmlreport
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR}
+        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
         COMPONENT applications)
 
+    # TODO: leverage CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR (share)?
+
     install(FILES ${addons_py}
-       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_DEF}/addons
+       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_INSTALL}/addons
        COMPONENT headers)
 
     install(FILES ${addons_json}
-       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_DEF}/addons
+       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_INSTALL}/addons
        COMPONENT headers)
 
     install(FILES ${cfgs}
-       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_DEF}/cfg
+       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_INSTALL}/cfg
        COMPONENT headers)
 
     install(FILES ${platforms}
-       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_DEF}/platforms
+       DESTINATION ${FILESDIR_INSTALL}/platforms
        COMPONENT headers)
 
+    # TODO: install manpage into CMAKE_INSTALL_MANDIR
+    # TODO: install documentation into CMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR?
+
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/options.cmake b/cmake/options.cmake
index 0fa27e4734b..bda080fe77b 100644
--- a/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -134,18 +134,22 @@ set(CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS Off CACHE BOOL "Disable precompiled headers
 # see https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/21219
 set(CMAKE_PCH_PROLOGUE "")
 
+# TODO: do we need to set these?
 set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRS_CONFIGCMAKE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include      CACHE PATH "Output directory for headers")
 set(CMAKE_LIB_DIRS_CONFIGCMAKE     ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib          CACHE PATH "Output directory for libraries")
 
+# TODO: do we need to set these?
 set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/bin)
 set(CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
 set(CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
 
 string(LENGTH "${FILESDIR}" _filesdir_len)
 # override FILESDIR if it is set or empty
+# needs to be an absolute path in Cppcheck but a relative one for CMake install
 if(FILESDIR OR ${_filesdir_len} EQUAL 0)
-# TODO: verify that it is an absolute path?
+    set(FILESDIR_INSTALL               "${FILESDIR}") # TODO: make relative - leverage CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR?
     set(FILESDIR_DEF                   "${FILESDIR}")
 else()
-    set(FILESDIR_DEF                   ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/${PROJECT_NAME} CACHE STRING "Cppcheck files directory")
+    set(FILESDIR_INSTALL               "share/${PROJECT_NAME}")
+    set(FILESDIR_DEF                   "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${FILESDIR_INSTALL}")
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/printInfo.cmake b/cmake/printInfo.cmake
index 87c7e41f284..7869169708d 100644
--- a/cmake/printInfo.cmake
+++ b/cmake/printInfo.cmake
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ message(STATUS "Compiler Version =      ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION}")
 message(STATUS "Build type =            ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")
 message(STATUS "CMake C++ Standard =    ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}")
 message(STATUS "CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX =  ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
+message(STATUS "CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR =  ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}")
 message(STATUS "CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS = ${CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS}")
 message(STATUS "C++ flags (General) =   ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
 message(STATUS "C++ flags (Release) =   ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ message(STATUS)
 message(STATUS "USE_LIBCXX =            ${USE_LIBCXX}")
 message(STATUS)
 message(STATUS "FILESDIR =              ${FILESDIR}")
+message(STATUS "FILESDIR_INSTALL =      ${FILESDIR_INSTALL}")
 message(STATUS "FILESDIR_DEF =          ${FILESDIR_DEF}")
 message(STATUS)
 
diff --git a/gui/CMakeLists.txt b/gui/CMakeLists.txt
index d640c341458..50980bfb262 100644
--- a/gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ CheckOptions:
         add_dependencies(cppcheck-gui online-help.qhc)
     endif()
 
-    install(TARGETS cppcheck-gui RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR} COMPONENT applications)
-    install(FILES ${qms} DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR} COMPONENT applications)
+    install(TARGETS cppcheck-gui RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR} COMPONENT applications)
+    install(FILES ${qms} DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR} COMPONENT applications)
 
     install(FILES cppcheck-gui.desktop DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR}/applications)