diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/CMakeLists.txt b/Control/AthenaCommon/CMakeLists.txt
index 68b6abb7516397436190722ad3c9ce9c43f0442a..a29b6dca8c2a5a6d3a5b553f41eacd849e669c86 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,5 +33,5 @@ atlas_add_test( CFElementsTest SCRIPT python -m unittest -v AthenaCommon.CFEleme
 
 # Check python syntax:
 atlas_add_test( flake8
-   SCRIPT flake8 --select=F,E101,E112,E113,E7,E9,W6 --ignore=E701 ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/python
+   SCRIPT flake8 --select=F,E101,E112,E113,E7,E9,W6 --ignore=E701,E741 ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/python
    POST_EXEC_SCRIPT nopost.sh )
diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/CfgMergerLib.py b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/CfgMergerLib.py
index f0d05cf7e6303771779c554517bd11f9f638aee6..4eb2394b4994bb014e0cb0e3dad6eca0ac859b41 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/CfgMergerLib.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/CfgMergerLib.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2017 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 # @file AthenaCommon/python/CfgMergerLib
 # @purpose a set of python tools to analyze configurables and find candidates
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ def dump_josvc_content(fname='josvc.ascii'):
 
     cfg = dict(cfg)
     print >> f, "# content of the joboptions-svc"
-    print >> f, "josvc_catalog = \ "
+    print >> f, "josvc_catalog = \\ "
 
     from pprint import pprint
     pprint(cfg, stream=f)
diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/ConfigurationShelve.py b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/ConfigurationShelve.py
index e3add9820caf944045547fcc1721cccae941ac89..4038da3a33a3e1e818c25f02f16e78789c085cad 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/ConfigurationShelve.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/ConfigurationShelve.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2018 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 # @file: AthenaCommon/python/ConfigurationShelve.py
 # @author: Wim Lavrijsen (WLavrijsen@lbl.gov)
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ def loadJobOptionsCatalogue( cfg_fname ):
          p = gaudi.StringProperty( n, '' )
          try:
             p.fromString(v).ignore()
-         except:
+         except Exception:
             print "Failed to convert",n,v
 
          if not josvc.addPropertyToCatalogue( client, p ).isSuccess():
diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/DumpProperties.py b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/DumpProperties.py
index d914322c3f9075cbe58e1014eea8915252669403..21f5805c2fab5104e0d21e9ddb5040e141270e7f 100755
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/DumpProperties.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/DumpProperties.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2018 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 # File: AthenaCommon/python/DumpProperties.py
 # Author: Wim Lavrijsen (WLavrijsen@lbl.gov)
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def pprint( obj, stream = sys.stdout ):
       if not obj._ip:
          try:
             value = eval( value )
-         except:
+         except Exception:
             pass
 
       if value and type(value) == list:
diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/Include.py b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/Include.py
index 6081b56bf06caf9d116bed1a5334693512975af2..e7816b84f537a739627c79198a31a32963cbce76 100755
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/Include.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/Include.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2018 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 # File: AthenaCommon/python/Include.py
 # Author: Wim Lavrijsen (WLavrijsen@lbl.gov)
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class IncludeError( RuntimeError ):
 ### files locator ------------------------------------------------------------
 try:
    optionsPathEnv = os.environ[ 'JOBOPTSEARCHPATH' ]
-except:
+except Exception:
    optionsPathEnv = os.curdir
 
 optionsPath = re.split( ',|' + os.pathsep, optionsPathEnv )
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class Include( object ):
             try:
                if 'import' in _filecache[ f.f_code.co_filename ][ f.f_lineno ]:
                   return self._trace_include
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                pass
             f = f.f_back
          del f
diff --git a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/JobProperties.py b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/JobProperties.py
index 2b19ec588ba06194274c8b406bf69c58be97c629..4afe912fc3e60abdc08d04481d689ebc9cc3c253 100755
--- a/Control/AthenaCommon/python/JobProperties.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaCommon/python/JobProperties.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2018 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 #=======================================================================
 # File: JobProperties/python/JobProperties.py
@@ -483,13 +483,13 @@ class JobPropertyContainer (object):
                   closestMatch=get_close_matches(name,self.__dict__.keys(),1)
                   if len(closestMatch)>0:
                       errString+=". Did you mean \'%s\'?" %  closestMatch[0] 
-              except:
+              except Exception:
                   pass #No execption from here
                   
               raise AttributeError(errString)
         try: 
             protected=hasattr(self.__dict__[name],'_context_name') 
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             protected=False 
         if not protected:
             self.__dict__[name] = n_value
diff --git a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/ComponentAccumulator.py b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/ComponentAccumulator.py
index 15e71f94d961c2f19bbddb85ec25f8b7c82691f6..a85a9ffc3d2a1fbb4a153ceaefa517b3b1af8924 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/ComponentAccumulator.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/ComponentAccumulator.py
@@ -90,13 +90,13 @@ class ComponentAccumulator(object):
                         return seq.getValuedProperties()[name]                    
                     return seq.getDefaultProperties()[name]
 
-                self._msg.info( " "*nestLevel +"\__ "+ seq.name() +" (seq: %s %s)" %(  "SEQ" if __prop("Sequential") else "PAR", "OR" if __prop("ModeOR") else "AND"  ) )
+                self._msg.info( " "*nestLevel +"\\__ "+ seq.name() +" (seq: %s %s)" %(  "SEQ" if __prop("Sequential") else "PAR", "OR" if __prop("ModeOR") else "AND"  ) )
                 nestLevel += 3
                 for c in seq.getChildren():
                     if isSequence(c):
                         printSeqAndAlgs(c, nestLevel )
                     else:
-                        self._msg.info( " "*nestLevel +"\__ "+ c.name() +" (alg)" )
+                        self._msg.info( " "*nestLevel +"\\__ "+ c.name() +" (alg)" )
                         if summariseProps:
                             printProperties(c, nestLevel)
             printSeqAndAlgs(self._sequence) 
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class ComponentAccumulator(object):
         #The following is to work with internal list of service as well as gobal svcMgr as second parameter
         try:
             compList.append(newComp)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             compList+=newComp
             pass
         return True #True means something got added
diff --git a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/UnifyProperties.py b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/UnifyProperties.py
index dbbb6d968d1a8b7cbadbe94622c653acc1cbeb49..2781f6d40a1cf5bfa0100dff59849e8f64562b78 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/UnifyProperties.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaConfiguration/python/UnifyProperties.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def getUnificationKey(propname):
         if matchingByObject in _propsToUnify:
             return matchingByObject
 
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     return None
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/CMakeLists.txt b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/CMakeLists.txt
index 12655407ce549e8e2ecef70acef6a3336c9f693c..6bdc5a22dffaaa8fb3af3ef5e95ed9df4781c051 100644
--- a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -124,14 +124,14 @@ _setup_python_package( jsonpickle
 
 # Install pyflakes:
 _setup_python_package( pyflakes
-   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/pyflakes-1.5.0.tar.gz
-   84a99f05e5409f8196325dda3f5a1b9a
+   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/pyflakes-2.0.0.tar.gz
+   06310b7c7a288c6c8e8f955da5f985ca
    SINGLE_VERSION )
 
 # Install flake8:
 _setup_python_package( flake8
-   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/flake8-3.3.0.tar.gz
-   3df622aac9bad27c04f34164609bbed8
+   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/flake8-3.6.0.tar.gz
+   178485aed0799655d0cbf2e3bdcfaddc
    DEPENDS pyflakes
    SINGLE_VERSION )
 
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ _setup_python_package( mccabe
 
 # Install :
 _setup_python_package( pycodestyle 
-   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/pycodestyle-2.3.1.tar.gz
-   240e342756af30cae0983b16303a2055
+   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/pycodestyle-2.4.0.tar.gz
+   85bbebd2c90d2f833c1db467d4d0e9a3
    SINGLE_VERSION )
 
 # Install pyinotify:
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.3.0.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.3.0.tar.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b44bcb6c48d45608178a020f452f86b3b1f1c3b..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Binary files a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.3.0.tar.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.6.0.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.6.0.tar.gz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8490781980b381b5ad119e8a585e6aa0c03977f0
Binary files /dev/null and b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/flake8-3.6.0.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.3.1.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.3.1.tar.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 76de22256ccb0d2dc36056a734cf935405e2408d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Binary files a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.3.1.tar.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.4.0.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.4.0.tar.gz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..193aa08cb6c46769d5e8305ec89f8ea6e74b2e72
Binary files /dev/null and b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pycodestyle-2.4.0.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-1.5.0.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-1.5.0.tar.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 7815ed8a17df702d5e50163ee7596543c3ba6016..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Binary files a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-1.5.0.tar.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-2.0.0.tar.gz b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-2.0.0.tar.gz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..95d6d3e5d514d517dab6ff358ae26190e6aae9bf
Binary files /dev/null and b/External/AtlasPyFwdBwdPorts/src/pyflakes-2.0.0.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigCommon/bin/athenaHLT.py b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigCommon/bin/athenaHLT.py
index 1a8e7bb85926709e063828dc35d2a0678218d79c..e2618adc6dd883dda5a7ad9fd4d45e67508f6bef 100755
--- a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigCommon/bin/athenaHLT.py
+++ b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigCommon/bin/athenaHLT.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def arg_ros2rob(s):
       if type(ros2robdict) is not dict:
          raise(ValueError)
       return ros2robdict
-   except:
+   except Exception:
       sys.stderr.write("ERROR! ros2rob cannot be evaluated as it is not a proper python dictionary: {}\n".format(s))
       sys.stderr.write("Using empty ros2rob dictionary instead\n")
       return {}
diff --git a/Trigger/TriggerCommon/TriggerJobOpts/python/TriggerConfigGetter.py b/Trigger/TriggerCommon/TriggerJobOpts/python/TriggerConfigGetter.py
index 6558072e19c4ef222e53211c2f566620342ebe01..7c817028a5ab9d956482ffc841113c5912602652 100644
--- a/Trigger/TriggerCommon/TriggerJobOpts/python/TriggerConfigGetter.py
+++ b/Trigger/TriggerCommon/TriggerJobOpts/python/TriggerConfigGetter.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2002-2017 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 
 
 __author__  = 'J. Stelzer'
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ class TriggerConfigGetter(Configured):
         ### preparations are done!
         try:
             self.svc.SetStates( self.ConfigSrcList )
-        except:
+        except Exception as ex:
             log.error( 'Failed to set state of TrigConfigSvc to %r' % self.ConfigSrcList )
         else:
             log.info('The following configuration services will be tried: %r' % self.ConfigSrcList )
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ class TriggerConfigGetter(Configured):
 
         try:
             self.svc.InitialiseSvc()
-        except Exception, ex:
+        except Exception as ex:
             log.error( 'Failed to activate TrigConfigSvc: %r' % ex )
 
         if self.readTriggerDB: