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I think I would prefer a separation between the package manager and build system. I’ve already got a build system for my FORTRAN codes, and that system can handle all the complications. SPACK, for example, can easily work with a pre-existing build system. But I definitely think that the worst part of FORTRAN compared to modern languages is that it takes so much work to manage external dependencies, so I appreciate the effort.

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This issue of separating a build system and a package manager vs lumping it together is a key design decision. We chose to follow Rust's Cargo, which lumps it together. It seems like a wrong decision at first (for the reason you stated), but we feel it is actually the right decision: from the user experience it feels much more natural and robust. I was not sure at first, but after playing with Cargo and Rust, you realize that this is the way to go.

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