diff --git a/env/merlin/spack.yaml b/env/merlin/spack.yaml
index 6acdcda..9a37065 100644
--- a/env/merlin/spack.yaml
+++ b/env/merlin/spack.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ spack:
     - Compilers: &Compilers
       - '%clang@12.0.0'
       - '%dpcpp@2022.1.0'
+      - '%gcc@8.3.0'
       - '%gcc@12.1.0'
       - '%intel@2021.6.0'
       - '%nvhpc@21.5'
@@ -541,8 +542,10 @@ spack:
         - PKG_CONFIG_PATH
 #<<<
   specs:
+    - alps%gcc@8.3.0 ^boost@1.63.0+python+numpy cxxstd=11 +icu ^icu4c cxxstd=11 ^py-numpy@1.19.5 ^python@3.6.13
+      ^openmpi ^openblas
     - matrix:
-      - [alps, geant4, gromacs, h5hut+mpi, lammps, r, superlu, visit, vtk, root ~tbb
+      - [geant4, gromacs, h5hut+mpi, lammps, r, superlu, visit, vtk, root ~tbb
           ~x]
       - ['%gcc']
       - [^openmpi]
diff --git a/env/merlin/sysconfigs/compilers.yaml b/env/merlin/sysconfigs/compilers.yaml
index 34a145c..f0662b8 100644
--- a/env/merlin/sysconfigs/compilers.yaml
+++ b/env/merlin/sysconfigs/compilers.yaml
@@ -39,6 +39,19 @@ compilers:
         fc: /opt/psi/Programming/intel/22.2/compiler/2022.1.0/linux/bin/ifx
       spec: oneapi@2022.1.0
       target: x86_64
+  - compiler:
+      environment: {}
+      extra_rpaths: []
+      flags: {}
+      modules: []
+      operating_system: rhel7
+      paths:
+        cc: /opt/psi/Programming/gcc/8.3.0/bin/gcc
+        cxx: /opt/psi/Programming/gcc/8.3.0/bin/g++
+        f77: /opt/psi/Programming/gcc/8.3.0/bin/gfortran
+        fc: /opt/psi/Programming/gcc/8.3.0/bin/gfortran
+      spec: gcc@8.3.0
+      target: x86_64
   - compiler:
       environment: {}
       extra_rpaths: []
diff --git a/env/merlin/sysconfigs/packages.yaml b/env/merlin/sysconfigs/packages.yaml
index e379b7a..13ad853 100644
--- a/env/merlin/sysconfigs/packages.yaml
+++ b/env/merlin/sysconfigs/packages.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ packages:
       write: user
     target:
       - haswell
+    providers:
+      pkgconfig: [pkg-config]
   binutils:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -72,6 +74,11 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: gawk@4.0.2
+  gettext:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: gettext@0.19.8.1
   ghostscript:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -97,6 +104,11 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: groff@1.22.2
+  fftw:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: fftw@3.3.3
   intel-oneapi-mkl:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -182,11 +194,6 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: libxft@2.3.2
-  libxml2:
-    buildable: false
-    externals:
-      - prefix: /usr
-        spec: libxml2@2.9.1
   libxpm:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -197,6 +204,11 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: libxt@6.0.0
+  m4:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: m4@1.4.16
   # E.G: only available from already downloaded source, so I put it here
   mxm:
     buildable: false
@@ -223,6 +235,11 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: openssh@7.4p1
+  openssl:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: openssl@1.0.2k-fips
   pcre:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -248,6 +265,11 @@ packages:
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
         spec: sed@4.2.2
+  sqlite:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: sqlite@3.7.17
   subversion:
     buildable: false
     externals:
@@ -267,4 +289,9 @@ packages:
     buildable: false
     externals:
       - prefix: /usr
-        spec: xerces-c@3.1
\ No newline at end of file
+        spec: xerces-c@3.1
+  xz:
+    buildable: false
+    externals:
+      - prefix: /usr
+        spec: xz@5.2.2
\ No newline at end of file