diff --git a/build_spack.sh b/build_spack.sh
index e60419f..9d8a7f7 100755
--- a/build_spack.sh
+++ b/build_spack.sh
@@ -5,11 +5,21 @@ git clone --depth=1 -b v0.20.1  https://github.com/spack/spack.git
 # can be mandatory if you have already used spack on your computer
 # delete the .spack directory in the home of the user 
 #==========================================
-# our recipes
+# get our recipes
 git clone https://github.com/LIHPC-Computational-Geometry/spack_recipes.git
 #==========================================
+# modifying spack configuration
+#==========================================
 # hard-coded modifications to spack configuration
 
+# Optionnal: modifying the install_tree variable to make it shorter and more human readable;
+# the HASH part in install directory names is removed which can lead to collisions.
+# The spack/etc/spack/defaults/config.yaml file can be modified by hand
+# - in spack version 0.19.2
+#sed -i 's#"${ARCHITECTURE}/${COMPILERNAME}-${COMPILERVER}/${PACKAGE}-${VERSION}-${HASH}"#"${PACKAGE}"#g' spack/etc/spack/defaults/config.yaml
+# - in spack version 0.20.1
+#sed -i 's#"{architecture}/{compiler.name}-{compiler.version}/{name}-{version}-{hash}"#"{name}"#g' spack/etc/spack/defaults/config.yaml
+
 # this is used to declare opengl as non buildable and use the system library 
 cp ./spack_recipes/config/packages.yaml ./spack/etc/spack/
 
@@ -19,12 +29,20 @@ cp ./spack_recipes/config/packages.yaml ./spack/etc/spack/
 #spack repo add ./spack_recipes/meshing_supersede
 cp spack_recipes/config/repos.yaml spack/etc/spack/defaults/repos.yaml
 
+# Optionnal: the default tmpdir used to build is defined in spack/etc/spack/defaults/config.yaml
+# under the entry build_stage: $tempdir/$user/spack-stage
+# Should one prefer to use a tmpfs or has limited disk space in the temporary dir (Qt's build directory can require up to 6Go on my setup)
+# this entry can be modified
+
 #==========================================
-# configure spack; it modifies the .spack directory in the user home
-source ./spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
+# configure spack using spack commands; it modifies the .spack directory in the user home
+source spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
 spack clean -a
+
+# registering cmake
 spack external find cmake
 
+# registering compilers
 spack compiler find
 # spack uses the highest version of the compiler found by default; if it is incomplete,
 # for example the C compiler is installed but not the CXX one the installations will fail.
@@ -35,19 +53,30 @@ spack compiler find
 #spack compiler remove gcc@12
 
 #==========================================
+# for regular install
 
 # +mpi should actually be ok, but currently the default openmpi install fails
-spack spec magix3d ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
-#spack install magix3d ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
+#spack spec magix3d+smooth3d+triton2+doc ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
+#spack install magix3d+smooth3d+triton2+doc ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
 
-# to work on the main branch
+# install for dev purposes
 git clone git@github.com:LIHPC-Computational-Geometry/magix3d.git
-spack dev-build -d ./magix3d magix3d@2.2.7 ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
+# you will probably want build_type=Debug or RelWithDebInfo.
+# Choose the variants you need, you can check them using `spack info gmds`.
+# The dev_path option does not seem to handle relative paths.
+spack install magix3d+smooth3d+triton2+doc dev_path=$PWD/magix3d build_type=Debug ^vtk-maillage~opengl2+qt~mpi ^hdf5~mpi ^cgns~mpi ^mesquite~mpi
 
 # to configure an IDE
+# spack created files and directories named gmds/spack-* in the gmds source tree, where the necessary
+# options are set up
 # get the CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH with ';' as separators
+cat magix3d/spack-build-env.txt  | grep CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH | awk -F "=" {'print $2'} | awk -F ";" {'print $1'} | sed 's/:/;/g'
 #spack load --only dependencies --sh magix3d | grep CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH | awk -F "=" {'print $2'} | sed 's/:/;/g'
 
+# Note: I have issues building the doc this way, I guess other variables from spack-build-env.txt
+# are required. In this case -DWITH_DOC:BOOL=OFF can be specified
+cat gmds/spack-configure-args.txt
+
 #==========================================
 # testing the install
 #export PYTHONPATH=spack/opt/spack/gmds/lib:$PYTHONPATH