@tgamblin

./spack compiler find

generates a nice file with a list of compilers that it can use and that users can edit for their needs.

What about

./spack package find

generating a ~/.spack/packages.yaml file containing at a minimum python, mpi, cuda, blas/lapack, cmake, if they exist on the system? The user can then decide by editing if they want to use any of them. This will save the biggest complaint I have with spack wasting hours trying to build the basics (and then having the builds fail which is even more annoying). Users who want spack to build everything, of course, are free to ignore this feature.