Update Spack lecture, demo notes, and exercise (#206)

* Update Spack version and installation commands

* Add notes for installing curl manually to the Spack demo

* Update Spack demo notes

* Update Spack exercise

Author: IshaanDesai

03_building_and_packaging/spack_demo.md

@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@
 - Git repository of Python scripts
 
   ```bash
-  git clone -b releases/v0.19 https://github.com/spack/spack.git
+  git clone -b v0.23.0 -c feature.manyFiles=true --depth=2 https://github.com/spack/spack.git
   ```
 
-    - `v0.19` is currently the latest release
-    - Update to newer versions using `git pull`/`git checkout -b`
+    - `v0.23.0` is currently the latest major release
+
+- **Note:** Install `curl`, `libcurl4-openssl-dev`, and `vim` to ensure that Spack v0.23.0 works in a fresh Ubuntu Jammy container.
 
 - Initializing Spack with
 
@@ -159,6 +160,14 @@
 
   We see that `cmake` is an implicit dependency as we need it for building our package.
 
+- If the same Docker container as in step 2 is used, make sure to uninstall `zlib` before installing `helloworld`.
+
+- Make sure Spack finds external packages that `HelloWorld` needs
+
+  ```bash
+  spack external find
+  ```
+
 - Install package
 
   ```bash
@@ -187,29 +196,29 @@
 
   This will concretize (internally, i.e. no output on terminal) and then build the software.
 
+- If one wants to edit the package later, there are two options
+
+  ```bash
+  spack edit helloworld
+  ```
+
+  or open `package.py` file in `${HOME}/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/helloworld/`
+
 - **Optional**: one could add `main` branch and thus GitHub repository
 
   ```diff
   + git      = "https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/HelloWorld.git"
   +
-  + version('main', branch='main')
+  + version("main", branch="main")
   ```
 
   This can also be used for `develop` branches etc. It is useful if one needs really the newest version of a package or if one develops software using Spack.
 
-- If one wants to edit the package later, there are two options
-
-  ```bash
-  spack edit helloworld
-  ```
-
-  or open `package.py` file in `${HOME}/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/helloworld/`
-
 - Add artificial dependencies
 
   ```diff
-  + depends_on('python@3:', when='@0.3.0:')
-  + depends_on('zlib@:1.2')
+  + depends_on("python@3:", when="@0.3.0:")
+  + depends_on("zlib@:1.2")
   ```
 
   This means that the package depends on Python `3.0.0` or newer and newer if we use `helloworld` of version `0.3.0` or newer. The software also requires at most `zlib` in version `1.2.10`
@@ -227,9 +236,9 @@
 - Add an artificial variant
 
   ```diff
-  + variant('python', default=True, description='Enable Python support')
-  - depends_on('python@3:', when='@0.3.0:')
-  + depends_on('python@3:', when='@0.3.0:+python')
+  - depends_on("python@3:", when="@0.3.0:")
+  + variant("python", default=True, description="Enable Python support")
+  + depends_on("python@3:", when="@0.3.0:+python")
   ```
 
   and check its existence
@@ -246,7 +255,7 @@
 
   `~` can be (often) used instead of `-`. There are [examples in the documentation](https://spack.readthedocs.io/en/latest/basic_usage.html#variants).
 
-## Further reading
+## Further material
 
 ### References
 

03_building_and_packaging/spack_exercise.md

@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ This exercise is about packaging code with Spack. We work with a simplified vers
 
 At the end of the exercise you find a section with hints and remarks. Make sure to check this section.
 
-Deadline: **Thursday, December 15th, 2022, 9:00**
+Deadline: **Wednesday, December 4th, 2024, 09:00**
 
 ## Creation of a Spack Package
 
-We want to package the [Spack example code on GitHub](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/spack-exercise). It is an adapted version of the previous week's exercise again. The `deal.ii` dependency has been removed as compiling `deal.ii` from scratch takes too long. Additionally, several releases with different dependencies have been added. The code in the repository creates an executable that is called `spackexample`. It also creates a library  `libspackexamplelib` (what a name) which is needed to run `spackexample`.
+We want to package the [Spack example code on GitHub](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/spack-exercise). It is an adapted version of the last week's exercise. The `deal.ii` dependency has been removed as compiling `deal.ii` from scratch takes too long. Additionally, several releases with different dependencies have been added. The code in the repository creates an executable that is called `spackexample`. It also creates a library  `libspackexamplelib` (what a name) which is needed to run `spackexample`.
 
 The default name of your Spack package is `spack-exercise`. The Spack package should create the executable `spackexample` and the corresponding library `libspackexamplelib` mentioned above. Under normal circumstances you do not need to edit the CMake configuration for this exercise.
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Create a Spack package for all releases of the given code and make sure that the
 
 ### Development/Packaging Environment
 
-Please do all the development inside a Docker container. The Docker container is based on the image built from the recipe provided in the [exercise repository](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/spack-exercise). You can find the recipe of the image inside the `docker/` directory of [the example code on GitHub](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/spack-exercise). The image itself is based on Ubuntu 20.04 and has the Boost dependency preinstalled. Additionally, Spack has been set up in the recipe. Two editors `vim` and `nano` preinstalled. If you want to install further software in your container you are free to do so.
+Please do all the development inside a Docker container. The Docker container is based on the image built from the recipe provided in the [exercise repository](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/spack-exercise). You can find the recipe of the image inside the `docker/` directory. The image itself is based on Ubuntu 20.04 and has the Boost dependency preinstalled. Additionally, Spack has been set up in the recipe. Two editors `vim` and `nano` are preinstalled. If you want to install further software in your container you are free to do so.
 
 ### Packaging Steps
 

03_building_and_packaging/spack_slides.md

@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ slideOptions:
 
 ## Learning goals
 
-- What are the challenges when bringing (your) software to supercomputers?
-- How to use Spack to install software.
-- How to create a Spack package for your own software.
+- Understand the challenges when bringing (your) software to supercomputers.
+- Use Spack to install software.
+- Create a Spack package for your own software.
 
 ---
 
@@ -104,24 +104,23 @@ slideOptions:
 - Steps:
     1. Install and configure Spack
     2. Learn how to use Spack for package management and installation
-    3. Create a Spack package for our HelloWorld code
+    3. Create a Spack package for a HelloWorld code
 - Code is on [GitHub](https://github.com/Simulation-Software-Engineering/HelloWorld)
 
 ---
 
 ## Spack Installation
 
 - Dependencies: Python, Git, C/C++ compiler, patch, make, tar...
-    - Basically `build-essentials`, `git`, and `python` on Ubuntu
+    - Basically `build-essential`, `git`, and `python` on Ubuntu
     - May be old, install newer versions with Spack if needed
 - Installation in user-writable location
 
   ```bash
-  git clone -b releases/v0.19 https://github.com/spack/spack.git
+  git clone -b v0.23.0 -c feature.manyFiles=true --depth=2 https://github.com/spack/spack.git
   ```
 
-    - `v0.19` is currently the latest release
-    - Update to newer versions using `git pull`/`git checkout -b`
+    - `v0.23.0` is currently the latest major release
 
 ---