#!/bin/bash
  
set -ex
version=0.0.1
name=dangsym
mkdir $name-$version
cd $name-$version

cat > configure <<'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "this is the dangsym configure script"
echo "args:" "$@"
case "$1" in
--prefix*)
  prefix=${1#--prefix=}
;;
esac

cat > install.sh <<STOP
set -ex
mkdir -p $prefix
cd $prefix
touch file.abc
ln -s b a  # create dangling symlink
ls -l
echo "install complete"
exit 0
STOP

chmod +x install.sh
EOF

chmod +x configure

cat > Makefile <<'EOF'
.SILENT: all
all: ; echo nothing to make
install: ; ./install.sh
EOF

cd ..
tar cvfz $name-$version.tar.gz $name-$version
mv $name-$version.tar.gz /tmp

echo "for spack create just accept the defaults"
spack create file://localhost/tmp/$name-$version.tar.gz
spack install --verbose $name

bash ./makedang.txt
[...]
spec : [email protected]%[email protected] arch=linux-ubuntu18.04-sandybridge
==> Error: FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/home/user/spack/test1/spack/opt/spack/linux-ubuntu18.04-sandybridge/gcc-7.4.0/dangsym-0.0.1-qhz4ajbcsouinxcejbjtc6kygokp2kwh/a'

/home/user/spack/test1/spack/lib/spack/spack/package.py:1718, in build_process:
       1715                    echo = logger.echo
       1716                    self.log()
       1717
  >>   1718                # Run post install hooks before build stage is removed.
       1719                spack.hooks.post_install(self.spec)
       1720
       1721            # Stop timer.

See build log for details:
  /tmp/user/spack-stage/spack-stage-dangsym-0.0.1-qhz4ajbcsouinxcejbjtc6kygokp2kwh/spack-build-out.txt