Add a "sticky" property to variants (#28630)

* Add sticky variants

* Add unit tests for sticky variants

* Add documentation for sticky variants

* Revert "Revert 19736 because conflicts are avoided by clingo by default (#26721)"

This reverts commit 33ef7d57c1a09d6ce454503e9ff5638747e4f4a2.

* Add stickiness to "allow-unsupported-compiler"

10 files changed, 196 insertions, 101 deletions

diff --git a/lib/spack/docs/packaging_guide.rst b/lib/spack/docs/packaging_guide.rst
index 66939ad3a8..a65a363d19 100644
--- a/lib/spack/docs/packaging_guide.rst
+++ b/lib/spack/docs/packaging_guide.rst
@@ -1441,6 +1441,32 @@ The ``when`` clause follows the same syntax and accepts the same
 values as the ``when`` argument of
 :py:func:`spack.directives.depends_on`
 
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+Sticky Variants
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The variant directive can be marked as ``sticky`` by setting to ``True`` the
+corresponding argument:
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   variant('bar', default=False, sticky=True)
+
+A ``sticky`` variant differs from a regular one in that it is always set
+to either:
+
+#. An explicit value appearing in a spec literal or
+#. Its default value
+
+The concretizer thus is not free to pick an alternate value to work
+around conflicts, but will error out instead.
+Setting this property on a variant is useful in cases where the
+variant allows some dangerous or controversial options (e.g. using unsupported versions
+of a compiler for a library) and the packager wants to ensure that
+allowing these options is done on purpose by the user, rather than
+automatically by the solver.
+
+
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Overriding Variants
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/cuda.py b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/cuda.py
index 8200737d76..1c46086c63 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/cuda.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/cuda.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import spack.variant
 from spack.directives import conflicts, depends_on, variant
+from spack.multimethod import when
 from spack.package import PackageBase
 
 
@@ -88,103 +89,103 @@ class CudaPackage(PackageBase):
 
     # Linux x86_64 compiler conflicts from here:
     # https://gist.github.com/ax3l/9489132
-
-    # GCC
-    # According to
-    # https://github.com/spack/spack/pull/25054#issuecomment-886531664
-    # these conflicts are valid independently from the architecture
-
-    # minimum supported versions
-    conflicts('%gcc@:4', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.4:')
-
-    # maximum supported version
-    # NOTE:
-    # in order to not constrain future cuda version to old gcc versions,
-    # it has been decided to use an upper bound for the latest version.
-    # This implies that the last one in the list has to be updated at
-    # each release of a new cuda minor version.
-    conflicts('%gcc@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0')
-    conflicts('%gcc@12:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.6')
-    conflicts('%clang@13:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.5')
-    conflicts('%clang@14:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.6')
-
-    # https://gist.github.com/ax3l/9489132#gistcomment-3860114
-    conflicts('%gcc@10', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.4.0')
-    conflicts('%gcc@5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.5 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@7:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@8:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0.130 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:14.8', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.0.27 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:15.3,15.5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@7.5 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:16.2,16.0:16.3', when='+cuda ^cuda@8 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:15,18:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.0:9.1 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:16,19:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2.88:10 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:17,20:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105:10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:17,21:', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2:11.1.0 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.4', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.5 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,4:', when='+cuda ^cuda@8.0:9.0 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,4.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.1 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,5.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,6.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.0.130 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,7.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.7,8.1:',
-              when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105:10.1.243 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:3.2,9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0.3 target=x86_64:')
-    conflicts('%clang@11:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0 target=x86_64:')
-
-    # x86_64 vs. ppc64le differ according to NVidia docs
-    # Linux ppc64le compiler conflicts from Table from the docs below:
-    # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
-    # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.2/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
-    # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.1/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
-    # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.0/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
-    # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/8.0/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
-
-    # information prior to CUDA 9 difficult to find
-    conflicts('%gcc@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@8:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0.130 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%gcc@9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1.243 target=ppc64le:')
-    # officially, CUDA 11.0.2 only supports the system GCC 8.3 on ppc64le
-    conflicts('%pgi', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:16', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1.185 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%pgi@:17', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@4:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.0.176 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.2 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@7:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.0.130 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@7.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1.105 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@8.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.2.89 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0.2 target=ppc64le:')
-    conflicts('%clang@11:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0 target=ppc64le:')
-
-    # Intel is mostly relevant for x86_64 Linux, even though it also
-    # exists for Mac OS X. No information prior to CUDA 3.2 or Intel 11.1
-    conflicts('%intel@:11.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@:3.1')
-    conflicts('%intel@:12.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@5.5:')
-    conflicts('%intel@:13.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@6.0:')
-    conflicts('%intel@:13.2', when='+cuda ^cuda@6.5:')
-    conflicts('%intel@:14.9', when='+cuda ^cuda@7:')
-    # Intel 15.x is compatible with CUDA 7 thru current CUDA
-    conflicts('%intel@16.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8.0.43')
-    conflicts('%intel@17.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8.0.60')
-    conflicts('%intel@18.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.9')
-    conflicts('%intel@19.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0')
-    conflicts('%intel@19.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1')
-    conflicts('%intel@19.2:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0')
-
-    # XL is mostly relevant for ppc64le Linux
-    conflicts('%xl@:12,14:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1')
-    conflicts('%xl@:12,14:15,17:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2')
-    conflicts('%xl@:12,17:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0')
-
-    # Darwin.
-    # TODO: add missing conflicts for %apple-clang cuda@:10
-    conflicts('platform=darwin', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: ')
+    with when('^cuda~allow-unsupported-compilers'):
+        # GCC
+        # According to
+        # https://github.com/spack/spack/pull/25054#issuecomment-886531664
+        # these conflicts are valid independently from the architecture
+
+        # minimum supported versions
+        conflicts('%gcc@:4', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.4:')
+
+        # maximum supported version
+        # NOTE:
+        # in order to not constrain future cuda version to old gcc versions,
+        # it has been decided to use an upper bound for the latest version.
+        # This implies that the last one in the list has to be updated at
+        # each release of a new cuda minor version.
+        conflicts('%gcc@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0')
+        conflicts('%gcc@12:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.6')
+        conflicts('%clang@13:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.5')
+        conflicts('%clang@14:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.6')
+
+        # https://gist.github.com/ax3l/9489132#gistcomment-3860114
+        conflicts('%gcc@10', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.4.0')
+        conflicts('%gcc@5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.5 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@7:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@8:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0.130 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:14.8', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.0.27 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:15.3,15.5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@7.5 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:16.2,16.0:16.3', when='+cuda ^cuda@8 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:15,18:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.0:9.1 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:16,19:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2.88:10 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:17,20:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105:10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:17,21:', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2:11.1.0 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.4', when='+cuda ^cuda@:7.5 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,4:', when='+cuda ^cuda@8.0:9.0 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,4.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.1 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,5.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,6.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.0.130 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,7.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.7,8.1:',
+                  when='+cuda ^cuda@10.1.105:10.1.243 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:3.2,9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.2.89 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0.3 target=x86_64:')
+        conflicts('%clang@11:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0 target=x86_64:')
+
+        # x86_64 vs. ppc64le differ according to NVidia docs
+        # Linux ppc64le compiler conflicts from Table from the docs below:
+        # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
+        # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.2/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
+        # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.1/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
+        # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/9.0/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
+        # https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/archive/8.0/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html
+
+        # information prior to CUDA 9 difficult to find
+        conflicts('%gcc@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@8:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0.130 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%gcc@9:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1.243 target=ppc64le:')
+        # officially, CUDA 11.0.2 only supports the system GCC 8.3 on ppc64le
+        conflicts('%pgi', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:16', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1.185 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%pgi@:17', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@4:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.0.176 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@5:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@6:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.2 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@7:', when='+cuda ^cuda@10.0.130 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@7.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1.105 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@8.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.2.89 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@:5', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@10:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.0.2 target=ppc64le:')
+        conflicts('%clang@11:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0 target=ppc64le:')
+
+        # Intel is mostly relevant for x86_64 Linux, even though it also
+        # exists for Mac OS X. No information prior to CUDA 3.2 or Intel 11.1
+        conflicts('%intel@:11.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@:3.1')
+        conflicts('%intel@:12.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@5.5:')
+        conflicts('%intel@:13.0', when='+cuda ^cuda@6.0:')
+        conflicts('%intel@:13.2', when='+cuda ^cuda@6.5:')
+        conflicts('%intel@:14.9', when='+cuda ^cuda@7:')
+        # Intel 15.x is compatible with CUDA 7 thru current CUDA
+        conflicts('%intel@16.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8.0.43')
+        conflicts('%intel@17.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:8.0.60')
+        conflicts('%intel@18.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.9')
+        conflicts('%intel@19.0:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.0')
+        conflicts('%intel@19.1:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:10.1')
+        conflicts('%intel@19.2:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0')
+
+        # XL is mostly relevant for ppc64le Linux
+        conflicts('%xl@:12,14:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:9.1')
+        conflicts('%xl@:12,14:15,17:', when='+cuda ^cuda@9.2')
+        conflicts('%xl@:12,17:', when='+cuda ^cuda@:11.1.0')
+
+        # Darwin.
+        # TODO: add missing conflicts for %apple-clang cuda@:10
+        conflicts('platform=darwin', when='+cuda ^cuda@11.0.2: ')
 
     # Make sure cuda_arch can not be used without +cuda
     for value in cuda_arch_values:
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/directives.py b/lib/spack/spack/directives.py
index 81f58f542d..7d92a203e5 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/directives.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/directives.py
@@ -562,7 +562,9 @@ def variant(
         values=None,
         multi=None,
         validator=None,
-        when=None):
+        when=None,
+        sticky=False
+):
     """Define a variant for the package. Packager can specify a default
     value as well as a text description.
 
@@ -583,7 +585,8 @@ def variant(
             doesn't meet the additional constraints
         when (spack.spec.Spec, bool): optional condition on which the
             variant applies
-
+        sticky (bool): the variant should not be changed by the concretizer to
+            find a valid concrete spec.
     Raises:
         DirectiveError: if arguments passed to the directive are invalid
     """
@@ -657,7 +660,7 @@ def variant(
             when_specs += orig_when
 
         pkg.variants[name] = (spack.variant.Variant(
-            name, default, description, values, multi, validator
+            name, default, description, values, multi, validator, sticky
         ), when_specs)
     return _execute_variant
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
index 4f727cdf48..ea603fd92f 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
@@ -852,6 +852,9 @@ class SpackSolverSetup(object):
             for value in sorted(values):
                 self.gen.fact(fn.variant_possible_value(pkg.name, name, value))
 
+            if variant.sticky:
+                self.gen.fact(fn.variant_sticky(pkg.name, name))
+
             self.gen.newline()
 
         # conflicts
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/concretize.lp b/lib/spack/spack/solver/concretize.lp
index 0b4c14796d..f4c15397e2 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/concretize.lp
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/concretize.lp
@@ -402,6 +402,14 @@ variant(Package, Variant) :- variant_condition(ID, Package, Variant),
    build(Package),
    error("Unsatisfied conditional variants cannot take on a variant value").
 
+% if a variant is sticky and not set its value is the default value
+variant_value(Package, Variant, Value) :-
+  variant(Package, Variant),
+  not variant_set(Package, Variant),
+  variant_sticky(Package, Variant),
+  variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value),
+  build(Package).
+
 % one variant value for single-valued variants.
 1 {
   variant_value(Package, Variant, Value)
@@ -523,6 +531,7 @@ variant_single_value(Package, "dev_path")
 % spec or some package sets it, and without this, clingo will give
 % warnings like 'info: atom does not occur in any rule head'.
 #defined variant/2.
+#defined variant_sticky/2.
 #defined variant_set/3.
 #defined variant_condition/3.
 #defined variant_single_value/2.
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize.py
index 9715568c06..fae852edf8 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize.py
@@ -1357,3 +1357,21 @@ class TestConcretize(object):
         s = spack.spec.Spec(spec_str).concretized(reuse=True)
         assert s.package.installed is expect_installed
         assert s.satisfies(spec_str, strict=True)
+
+    @pytest.mark.regression('26721,19736')
+    def test_sticky_variant_in_package(self):
+        if spack.config.get('config:concretizer') == 'original':
+            pytest.skip('Original concretizer cannot use sticky variants')
+
+        # Here we test that a sticky variant cannot be changed from its default value
+        # by the ASP solver if not set explicitly. The package used in the test needs
+        # to have +allow-gcc set to be concretized with %gcc and clingo is not allowed
+        # to change the default ~allow-gcc
+        with pytest.raises(spack.error.SpackError):
+            spack.spec.Spec('sticky-variant %gcc').concretized()
+
+        s = spack.spec.Spec('sticky-variant+allow-gcc %gcc').concretized()
+        assert s.satisfies('%gcc') and s.satisfies('+allow-gcc')
+
+        s = spack.spec.Spec('sticky-variant %clang').concretized()
+        assert s.satisfies('%clang') and s.satisfies('~allow-gcc')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize_preferences.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize_preferences.py
index 885e601bd0..7bcfc75f7d 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize_preferences.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretize_preferences.py
@@ -416,3 +416,13 @@ mpi:
         ):
             s = Spec('somevirtual').concretized()
             assert s.name == 'some-virtual-preferred'
+
+    @pytest.mark.regression('26721,19736')
+    def test_sticky_variant_accounts_for_packages_yaml(self):
+        with spack.config.override(
+                'packages:sticky-variant', {
+                    'variants': '+allow-gcc'
+                }
+        ):
+            s = Spec('sticky-variant %gcc').concretized()
+            assert s.satisfies('%gcc') and s.satisfies('+allow-gcc')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/variant.py b/lib/spack/spack/variant.py
index ccbc5db33e..13c8354ea9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/variant.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/variant.py
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ class Variant(object):
             description,
             values=(True, False),
             multi=False,
-            validator=None):
+            validator=None,
+            sticky=False
+    ):
         """Initialize a package variant.
 
         Args:
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ class Variant(object):
             multi (bool): whether multiple CSV are allowed
             validator (callable): optional callable used to enforce
                 additional logic on the set of values being validated
+            sticky (bool): if true the variant is set to the default value at
+                concretization time
         """
         self.name = name
         self.default = default
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ class Variant(object):
 
         self.multi = multi
         self.group_validator = validator
+        self.sticky = sticky
 
     def validate_or_raise(self, vspec, pkg=None):
         """Validate a variant spec against this package variant. Raises an
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/sticky-variant/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/sticky-variant/package.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1fea2d531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/sticky-variant/package.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2022 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other
+# Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
+from spack import *
+
+
+class StickyVariant(AutotoolsPackage):
+    """Package with a sticky variant and a conflict"""
+
+    homepage = "http://www.example.com"
+    url = "http://www.example.com/a-1.0.tar.gz"
+
+    version('1.0', '0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef')
+
+    variant('allow-gcc', description='', default=False, sticky=True)
+
+    conflicts('%gcc', when='~allow-gcc')
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
index 378a9b0295..aa76935965 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ class Cuda(Package):
     conflicts('arch=darwin-mojave-x86_64')
 
     variant('dev', default=False, description='Enable development dependencies, i.e to use cuda-gdb')
+    variant('allow-unsupported-compilers', default=False, sticky=True,
+            description='Allow unsupported host compiler and CUDA version combinations')
 
     depends_on('libxml2', when='@10.1.243:')
     # cuda-gdb needed libncurses.so.5 before 11.4.0