Spack v0.22 to v1.1.x migration plan

[harshula]

[Updated: 11/02/2026 - Migrated to Spack v1.1]

Phase 1

• Create an api-v2 branch of spack-packages that works with Spack v1.1
• Create Spack v1.1 configuration files in spack-config
• Test in Docker container and Gadi

Phase 2

• spack-packages to be renamed to access-spack-packages
• Don't fork upsteam spack-packages yet. Only fork if required.
• Update spack-config as required.

Phase 3

• Test changes to SPR (api-v2) & MDR (infra-update-v8)
• MDRs:
  • Formatting should comply with spacks output
  • Version in spack.specs[0] should move to spack.definitions[]._version[0], deployment name to spack.definitions[]._name[0]
  • Validate that the test deployment on branch infra-update-v8 is acceptable to maintainers
  • Delete spack.config for ukmo-restricted-scope repos like ACCESS-ESM1.[56]
• MCRs (Model Component Repositories):
  • Validate that the versions work
  • Update manifests to use toolchains

Phase 4

• Update end-user Spack setup instructions
• After migrating to Spack v1.x for end-users is completed, then duplicate the access-spack-packages main branch to api-v1. The main branch is deprecated and will be deleted in the future.

[harshula]

Hi @CodeGat , Can you please provide details about which tasks in the list are blockers for build-ci/build-cd migration to Spack v1.0? Can I rename spack-packages to access-spack-packages today?

[CodeGat]

Renaming spack-packages to access-spack-packages would get build-cd and build-ci in a state that is ready to test, so I'm all for the renaming. There is still an inode issue that prevents build-cd from being tested, but that's unrelated.

None of the issues there are proper blockers to being able to test the migration.

[CodeGat]

Here's the state of play currently:

The good:

• system-tools: MERGED
• model-tools: MERGED
• ACCESS-OM2: MERGED, reproducible
• CABLE-standalone: MERGED

The bad:

• ACCESS-OM3: Built, NOT reproducible
• ACCESS-ESM1.5: Built, NOT reproducible
• ACCESS-ESM1.6: Built, NOT reproducible, transient module issue

The ugly:

• ACCESS-ISSM: Not built, scalapack may be a virtual package, need to bump up python version as 3.11.7 no longer exists.
• ACCESS-rAM3: Not built, issue with gcom
• CoastRI-ROMS: Not concretized, issue with the compiler on spack v1.1
• ACCESS-AM3: Not built, issue with fiat