ICARUS & SBND DAQ Software Environment

Spack-Based Package Management and Development Environment

Short-Baseline Neutrino Program | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Overview

This repository provides a comprehensive Spack-based software management ecosystem for the ICARUS and SBND experiments, part of Fermilab's Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The SBN Program investigates neutrino oscillations and searches for sterile neutrinos using three liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam.

Repository Capabilities

This integrated software environment provides:

Unified Package Management - Spack-based installation and dependency resolution for DAQ software stacks
Development Workflows - Streamlined tools for suite and individual package development
Binary Distribution - Buildcache infrastructure for rapid deployment across experiment computing resources
Local & Shared Configurations - Flexible database management supporting both collaborative and isolated development
Quality Assurance - Modular architecture with comprehensive logging, error handling, and verification tools

Repository Architecture

Directory Structure

spack/v1.0.1.sbnd/
│
├── NULL/                          # [Submodule] Spack Core
│   ├── bin/spack                  # Spack command-line interface
│   ├── lib/spack/                 # Core Spack libraries
│   ├── var/spack/repos/           # Built-in package recipes
│   └── README.md                  # Spack documentation
│
├── sbndaq-spack-tools/            # ICARUS/SBND Development Tools
│   ├── README.md                  # Comprehensive tools documentation
│   ├── modules/                   # Modular function libraries
│   │   ├── README.md              # Module architecture guide
│   │   ├── logging-functions.sh   # Logging and output utilities
│   │   ├── signal-functions.sh    # Error handling and cleanup
│   │   ├── config-functions.sh    # Configuration file generation
│   │   ├── env-functions.sh       # Environment initialization
│   │   ├── pkg-functions.sh       # Package management
│   │   ├── build-functions.sh     # Build orchestration
│   │   └── suite-functions.sh     # DAQ suite-specific workflows
│   │
│   ├── Main Scripts
│   ├── setup-local-spack.sh       # Local Spack database configuration
│   ├── newSPACKDevArea.sh         # Create DAQ suite development area
│   ├── newSPACKProjArea.sh        # Create single package development area
│   ├── build-sbndaq-suite.sh      # Build sbndaq-suite packages
│   ├── build-artdaq-suite.sh      # Build artdaq-suite packages
│   ├── rsync-build-cache.sh       # Binary cache distribution
│   └── tools-spack-devenv.sh      # Interactive development helpers
│
├── spack-repos/                   # [Submodule] SBN Package Repositories
│   └── sbn-spack/                 # ICARUS/SBND package definitions
│       ├── packages/              # Custom package recipes
│       └── README.md              # Package repository documentation
│
├── fermi-spack-tools/             # [Submodule] Fermilab Spack Tools
│   └── ...                        # Fermilab-specific utilities
│
├── spack-mpd/                     # [Submodule] Multi-Package Development
│   └── ...                        # MPD repository management tools
│
├── .gitmodules                    # Submodule configuration
└── README.md                      # This file

Git Submodules

This repository integrates multiple components via Git submodules:

Submodule	Repository	Purpose
NULL	`SBNSoftware/spack`	SBN-customized Spack core with experiment-specific patches and configurations
spack-repos	`SBNSoftware/spack-repos`	ICARUS/SBND package definitions for artdaq, sbndaq, and dependencies
fermi-spack-tools	`FNALssi/fermi-spack-tools`	Fermilab Scientific Software Infrastructure tools and utilities
spack-mpd	`eflumerf/spack-mpd`	Multi-package development (MPD) repository management

Initialize submodules:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Quick Start Guides

Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have:

Access to ICARUS or SBND computing resources (GPVMs, build nodes, or interactive nodes)
Git configured with appropriate credentials
Bash shell (version 4.0+)
Basic familiarity with command-line operations

Use Case 1: Standard User - Local Spack Configuration

Scenario: You need to install DAQ software but don't have write access to the shared Spack database.

Solution: Configure a personal Spack environment with shared package access:

# Navigate to the Spack installation
cd /daq/software/spack_packages/spack/v1.0.1.sbnd

# Initialize local Spack database (creates ~/.spack-local/)
source sbndaq-spack-tools/setup-local-spack.sh

# Verify configuration (recommended)
verify_local_spack

# View available ICARUS/SBND packages
spack list sbndaq
spack list artdaq

# Install packages to your local environment
spack install sbndaq-suite@v1_11_00

Benefits:

No database locking conflicts with other users
Access to all shared packages via upstreams
Personal package installations in ~/.spack-local/install/
Isolated configuration in ~/.spack-local/config/

Documentation: Local Spack Setup Guide

Use Case 2: DAQ Developer - Full Suite Development

Scenario: You're developing multiple interconnected packages in the ICARUS/SBND DAQ software stack.

Solution: Create a comprehensive development area for the entire DAQ suite:

# Create development environment (example: developer name "ALICE")
./sbndaq-spack-tools/newSPACKDevArea.sh --dev-name ALICE

# Navigate to created environment
cd ~/DAQ_SPACK_DevAreas/DAQ_2025-10-07_ALICE_v1_11_00/DAQInterface

# Activate the Spack environment
source setup_daqinterface_spackenv.sh

# Your development packages are now checked out and ready
# Example: modify source in checked-out packages
cd ../srcs/sbndaq-artdaq
# ... make your changes ...

# Build with your modifications
spack install

**What gets created**:
- Spack environment at `~/DAQ_SPACK_DevAreas/<dev-name>/`
- Development checkouts of artdaq-suite and sbndaq-suite packages
- Configuration files (config.yaml, repos.yaml, upstreams.yaml)
- Activation script (setup.sh)

**Documentation**: [DAQ Suite Development Workflow](sbndaq-spack-tools/README.md#workflow-2-daq-suite-development)

---

### Use Case 3: Release Manager - Build & Distribute Binaries

**Scenario**: You're responsible for building and distributing official software releases.

**Solution**: Use the automated build and distribution scripts:

```bash
# Build sbndaq-suite with all dependencies
./sbndaq-spack-tools/build-sbndaq-suite.sh

# Alternatively, build artdaq-suite
./sbndaq-spack-tools/build-artdaq-suite.sh

# Generate binary cache for distribution
# (buildcache automatically created during build)

# Mirror buildcache to remote repositories
./sbndaq-spack-tools/rsync-build-cache.sh

# Verify buildcache availability
spack buildcache list

Documentation: Build & Publish Workflow

Software Components

ICARUS/SBND DAQ Software Stack

The DAQ software for ICARUS and SBND is organized into interconnected suites:

artdaq Suite

Purpose: Core DAQ framework developed by Fermilab Scientific Computing Division

Key Packages:

artdaq-core - Core data acquisition framework and data types
artdaq - DAQ application framework and utilities
artdaq-utilities - Common utilities and tools
artdaq-core-demo - Example DAQ applications

Repository: Built-in Spack packages + SBN extensions

sbndaq Suite

Purpose: ICARUS and SBND-specific DAQ applications and board readers

Key Packages:

sbndaq-artdaq - SBN-specific artdaq extensions
sbndaq-artdaq-core - SBN data types and core components
sbndaq - Top-level integration package

Repository: spack-repos/sbn-spack/

Technical Documentation

Component	Description	Documentation
Spack Core	SBN-customized Spack package manager	NULL/README.md · Official Docs
Development Tools	ICARUS/SBND workflow automation	sbndaq-spack-tools/README.md
Module System	Modular function libraries	sbndaq-spack-tools/modules/README.md
Package Repository	SBN package definitions	spack-repos/sbn-spack/README.md
Fermi Tools	Fermilab infrastructure integration	fermi-spack-tools/
MPD Tools	Multi-package development utilities	spack-mpd/

External Resources

SBN Program: https://sbn.fnal.gov/
ICARUS Experiment: https://icarus.fnal.gov/
SBND Experiment: https://sbnd.fnal.gov/
Fermilab Computing: https://computing.fnal.gov/
artdaq Documentation: https://cdcvs.fnal.gov/redmine/projects/artdaq/wiki
Spack Official Documentation: https://spack.readthedocs.io/

Key Features

1. Isolated Development Environments

Create reproducible, isolated environments for DAQ software development without affecting shared installations or other developers.

2. Multi-Version Package Management

Install and maintain multiple versions of the same package simultaneously, essential for supporting both ICARUS and SBND with potentially different software versions.

3. Binary Package Distribution (Buildcache)

Accelerate deployments using pre-built binary packages, reducing compilation time from hours to minutes.

4. Dependency Resolution

Automatic resolution of complex dependency chains across artdaq, sbndaq, and third-party packages (ROOT, Boost, etc.).

5. Platform Compatibility

Supports multiple Linux distributions used across SBN computing infrastructure:

Scientific Linux 7 (legacy systems)
AlmaLinux 9 (current standard)

6. Upstream Package Sharing

Access shared packages in /daq/software/spack_packages/ while maintaining personal installations, eliminating redundant builds and conserving disk space.

Environment Variables

Core Spack Variables

Variable	Description	Example
`SPACK_DIR`	Spack installation directory	`/daq/software/spack_packages/spack`
`SPACK_VERSION`	Spack version tag	`v1.0.1.sbnd`
`SPACK_ROOT`	Spack root (auto-set)	`$SPACK_DIR/$SPACK_VERSION`
`SPACK_USER_CONFIG_PATH`	User configuration directory	`~/.spack-local/config`
`SPACK_MICRO_ARCH`	Target microarchitecture	`x86_64_v2`

Build Variables

Variable	Description	Default
`BUILD_THREADS`	Parallel build jobs	`8`
`COMPILER_VERSION`	GCC version	`13.1.0`
`CXX_STANDARD`	C++ standard	`c++17`

Control Flags

Variable	Description	Default
`NON_INTERACTIVE`	Disable prompts	`false`
`VERBOSE`	Enable verbose output	`false`
`DEBUG`	Enable debug logging	`false`

See: Environment Variables Reference

Best Practices

Always use local Spack setup if you lack write access to shared database
Run verification after setup: verify_local_spack
Use non-interactive mode for automation and CI/CD
Enable debug logging when troubleshooting
Review configuration files before running builds
Test in development area before publishing to buildcache
Document custom configurations for team members

See: Best Practices Guide

Getting Help

Documentation Resources

This README - High-level overview and navigation
Spack Core Documentation - Spack package manager
SBN Development Tools - DAQ development workflows
Module System Documentation - Modular components
Official Spack Documentation - Comprehensive Spack guide

Interactive Help

# Spack help
spack help
spack help --all
spack help --spec

# Local Spack setup help
source sbndaq-spack-tools/setup-local-spack.sh
local_spack_help

# Script usage
./sbndaq-spack-tools/newSPACKDevArea.sh --help
./sbndaq-spack-tools/newSPACKProjArea.sh --help

Contributing

When contributing to this repository:

Follow existing code style and conventions
Add appropriate documentation
Update README files for new features
Test changes thoroughly
Include error handling and logging
Follow module standards for new modules

See: Module Standards

About

This repository provides the Spack-based development environment for the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Data Acquisition system.

Spack Version: v1.0.1.sbnd Platform: Linux (Scientific Linux 7, AlmaLinux 9) Architecture: x86_64_v2

For more information about Spack, see the official Spack repository.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 63 Commits
NULL @ d955ee8		NULL @ d955ee8
bootstrap/config/linux		bootstrap/config/linux
fermi-spack-tools @ 6e51460		fermi-spack-tools @ 6e51460
hashes		hashes
private/gpg		private/gpg
sbndaq-spack-tools		sbndaq-spack-tools
site-configs		site-configs
spack-mpd @ 79b8801		spack-mpd @ 79b8801
spack-repos @ 4b78c62		spack-repos @ 4b78c62
.gitignore		.gitignore
.gitmodules		.gitmodules
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
setup-env.sh		setup-env.sh

Folders and files

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Repository files navigation

ICARUS & SBND DAQ Software Environment

Overview

Repository Capabilities

Repository Architecture

Directory Structure

Git Submodules

Quick Start Guides

Prerequisites

Use Case 1: Standard User - Local Spack Configuration

Use Case 2: DAQ Developer - Full Suite Development

Software Components

ICARUS/SBND DAQ Software Stack

artdaq Suite

sbndaq Suite

Technical Documentation

External Resources

Key Features

1. Isolated Development Environments

2. Multi-Version Package Management

3. Binary Package Distribution (Buildcache)

4. Dependency Resolution

5. Platform Compatibility

6. Upstream Package Sharing

Environment Variables

Core Spack Variables

Build Variables

Control Flags

Best Practices

Getting Help

Documentation Resources

Interactive Help

Contributing

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