diff --git a/spack-environment/ci/spack.yaml b/spack-environment/ci/spack.yaml
index 38349bca..a55aac25 100644
--- a/spack-environment/ci/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack-environment/ci/spack.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ spack:
   - ../packages.yaml
   - ../packages_root_without_opengl.yaml
   - ../view.yaml
+  concretizer:
+    unify: when_possible
   specs:
   - acts
   - actsvg
diff --git a/spack-environment/ci_without_acts/spack.yaml b/spack-environment/ci_without_acts/spack.yaml
index c93948f2..13bb06f0 100644
--- a/spack-environment/ci_without_acts/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack-environment/ci_without_acts/spack.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ spack:
   - ../packages.yaml
   - ../packages_root_without_opengl.yaml
   - ../view.yaml
+  concretizer:
+    unify: when_possible
   specs:
   - actsvg
   - afterburner
diff --git a/spack-environment/cvmfs/spack.yaml b/spack-environment/cvmfs/spack.yaml
index fb29e029..4736b2c6 100644
--- a/spack-environment/cvmfs/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack-environment/cvmfs/spack.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ spack:
   - ../packages_cvmfs_geant4data.yaml
   - ../packages_root_without_opengl.yaml
   - ../view.yaml
+  concretizer:
+    unify: when_possible
   specs:
   - acts
   - actsvg
diff --git a/spack-environment/packages.yaml b/spack-environment/packages.yaml
index 1d7709df..923e589f 100644
--- a/spack-environment/packages.yaml
+++ b/spack-environment/packages.yaml
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@ packages:
     # and 'prefer' at least retains some (less strict) preference in that case
     prefer:
     - '%gcc'
-    - +ipo
+    # FIXME any ipo preference breaks llvm external reuse
+    #- +ipo
     - build_system=cmake
     - build_type=Release
     require:
     - '%gcc'
-    - any_of: [+ipo, '@:']
+    # FIXME any ipo requirement breaks llvm external reuse
+    #- any_of: [+ipo, '@:']
     - any_of: [build_system=cmake, '@:']
     - any_of: [build_type=Release, '@:']
   acts:
@@ -204,6 +206,11 @@ packages:
     require:
     - '@12.1.0:'
     - +expat ~ghostscript +pangocairo
+  harfbuzz:
+    require:
+    # harfbuzz fails to find cairo.h in the gir parts of cmake builds when cairo is meson-built
+    - spec: build_system=meson
+      when: +gobject ^cairo build_system=meson
   hdf5:
     require:
     - ~cxx ~fortran +hl +ipo ~java ~map +mpi +shared ~subfiling ~szip ~threadsafe +tools
@@ -265,8 +272,9 @@ packages:
     - +python
   llvm:
     require:
-    - ~gold
-    - any_of: [~ipo, '@:']
+    - any_of: [~gold, '@:']
+    # FIXME any ipo requirement breaks llvm external reuse
+    #- any_of: [~ipo, '@:']
   madx:
     require:
     - '@5.08.01:'
@@ -374,7 +382,7 @@ packages:
     - '@1.5:'
   py-dask:
     require:
-    - '@2024.7.1:'
+    - '@2024.12.1'  # pinned within py-hist's supported range 2023:2024
   py-dask-histogram:
     require:
     - '@2025.2.0:'
@@ -470,6 +478,9 @@ packages:
   py-pyyaml:
     require:
     - '@6.0.2:'
+  py-requests:
+    require:
+    - '@2.32.5:'
   py-rich:
     require:
     - '@13:'
diff --git a/spack-packages.sh b/spack-packages.sh
index 7fb8328d..a9ee4543 100644
--- a/spack-packages.sh
+++ b/spack-packages.sh
@@ -2,151 +2,70 @@
 SPACKPACKAGES_ORGREPO="spack/spack-packages"
 
 ## Spack github version, e.g. v2025.07.0 or commit hash
-## note: nightly builds will use e.g. develop
-SPACKPACKAGES_VERSION="v2025.07.0"
+## Note: nightly builds will use e.g. develop
+## Note: when changing this, also make new buildcache public
+## (default is only visible with internal authentication)
+SPACKPACKAGES_VERSION="v2025.11.0"
 
 ## Space-separated list of spack-packages cherry-picks
 read -r -d '' SPACKPACKAGES_CHERRYPICKS <<- \
 --- || true
-b5ffbcc4aa43bffbffa96ff9a436a68773e10933
-b6b6d79c25c1496472f9535ec33c9030b27353ab
-405e97751385dccbd6ec6e6f3b57dc28fc04c76b
-ba00d764b91db70bce8236bc528a1d4af37c4ce9
-4b243eb07a483a6bf527c2f74e5766b35afa528b
-948d4ea14409e38d47882b5a5c2d61d99d02b30b
-215e9f93f4de43095bd12e39809b9afeb89655f0
-8aaec9b76104af2cf58e7be55485d6c2385b41ab
-8751ca4c4ba54559b40cdaa3c319bf14db72e28e
-2c1e68ded81add6d3d0fbc005ad19b0727639204
-a118c877bcca1d71810528ba481b8d3f819035f1
-0c164b846058d9c57c9adb6b17ef86ead9f4b8c4
-b440c61b9cddfab0fd59dd5fc607c95247a18bc9
-698ce0531e4be2d55ca667d6f9341636397c2662
-1d53be2a26ecb7809c1f6006ed8cbfe7febee7a9
 a115a811bdfce4db5298a9ba9b7903ccfb0de101
 22dadd619053ff0872903549db616200bda082f0
-7fad8a78d35b5556e1d7aa92a71a4e1c58a1665a
-1b976bbdf7c5bce37d6541beb93445791f9292c6
-20aa538bd0d33743b8cd9dd9179c759b85615d47
-795ad32793a7dfda1086f31b7e49cf4ae52672f6
-e61079273e806301d76cc64f53fb034980988583
-b063312bb52fb62010e04588f6b16d37e16c8d02
-b7870dfad11c4e8ca9690b0895c98f16d79f5398
-1e8f896b2807bcc48553e90d6212f0931fa5262f
-e998e20d3979c5aa47faaf59a8020e3fab13ab97
-904792d49dc4236c5394dbc0aebbe45175b59187
-a3f3a80e2877645c72cca0381c820307fe1d4523
 559789f67245a40306aeea636b61348e97d4f092
 95c45b6c3322e151fd29ed00ea10567b97705ee4
 d6f99b8d611cf740eb45e13df2c84044a4ca6ae4
-bc25e5eb2f8f7a8733cdc10d92e9787358c82cfa
-c4d983b764d7b1ee2b63da79f5f25365ac61ce7a
-44da889cc86bb8a5315c729a7c79f2c002c9c951
 5c37f836753e8f9683fdc547f3661c5045abcbd1
 c75e10845431600b163c597545bd099e427c62f5
 438a7d95de1b81e15107edbf341b20824ec80635
-c71f8e48245012565ac7b0648dfda137b0071de7
-4ef82e75f5cae7b4d093e41043e26b259498264e
-8d027b1651840631350d0ba9f30624f2baf26350
-566e1b070e17ffe8c2d0bf4122568af8a81db1cd
-048bffaea064919ccfc2f740e14bbb987e7f5c7e
 6b57d7a93de84dd5492b9308a9612924ab641dce
 ba94c07db577eaf5eb4b0450721fbc7e98879922
-57a0c5d83aba319c37e51c7a6f965f28f49cdb77
-d0b0e511376f74be2cd3a2878bed781d39a6066a
-a6762cd1b4dff3297dd83664a6c09450324fc7bd
-158693457ba1717a89a9e2f9614c6982b6aff441
-a46e40be55d002e4708303735f7eb4aca2482d0a
-96d1e30c389599be9b3d95a0af16b49afd8b6e31
-2050ba18c273506ebfd90744315850e55766fff7
-3c85253b0bd2bb61eae6b5532d657a34e0939c69
-d6b78b9ed0cf6ac3d6ddfcbc287bc0db3cd645e7
 f201ecd5e5923b394d14f74bc220dea06b9ab28f
 2e05bbbe808442e761647da571500ee128654f4f
 9ec50db07733195bba922b8c6dcbbb1de9c56adf
 d95db21e9c9fa6eab1a9e62e2ba56066f2f955a7
-9cf8ee9c28465568d0b8871f245c400470e74ec7
-78a6c5f0a2531a78be5c9dd9235cf92036d541f5
 be6546b82b43d82edba804f1e362a709809ba537
 f5742718da7bd1d078ddc8423011a82ef2e3c759
-56e5282f7ef78180895b5d99db57d2a166b6d0e1
 922b2f6011dbf01aebb332a1ebf949b105c74247
 2ba80e697faf80613b038615b2345b7a777cc438
+9e8f996350ac51c620e61a3a3980577fe471e35a
+a4cc9fad86c9c3353e65bd379f708f70d9984bf0
+760f3889877f17df24229a03d5dda25189b88a29
+2de6b7a78840d8e67113f190783a1c936709b643
+7743e5ac5cdf9075800b3edacfed628c795a9a5e
+b9ad19ee2ce47f8b7fbe187d41d898f873bbc121
+931b8f47ff9470b3f957f0bb462964702277301a
 ---
 ## Optional hash table with comma-separated file list
 ## For these commits, the cherry-pick will be restricted to the listed files only.
 ## For all other commits, the cherry-pick will be applied without restriction (default).
 read -r -d '' SPACKPACKAGES_CHERRYPICKS_FILES <<- \
 --- || true
-[b063312bb52fb62010e04588f6b16d37e16c8d02]=repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/py_tensorflow/package.py
-[7fad8a78d35b5556e1d7aa92a71a4e1c58a1665a]=repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/py_tensorflow/package.py,repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/py_tensorboard/package.py
-[4ef82e75f5cae7b4d093e41043e26b259498264e]=repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/podio/package.py
-[158693457ba1717a89a9e2f9614c6982b6aff441]=repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/acts/package.py,repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/celeritas/package.py
-[9cf8ee9c28465568d0b8871f245c400470e74ec7]=repos/spack_repo/builtin/packages/edm4hep/package.py
 ---
 ## Ref: https://github.com/spack/spack-packages/commit/[hash]
 ## [hash]: [description]
-## b5ffbcc4aa43bffbffa96ff9a436a68773e10933: strace: add v6.15
-## b6b6d79c25c1496472f9535ec33c9030b27353ab: iwyu: add patch for 0.23
-## 405e97751385dccbd6ec6e6f3b57dc28fc04c76b: iwyu,g2,r-curl: requires(pkg) -> requires(^pkg)
-## ba00d764b91db70bce8236bc528a1d4af37c4ce9: py-gfal2-python: depends_on c
-## 4b243eb07a483a6bf527c2f74e5766b35afa528b: gobject-introspection: restore setuptools@44: support
-## 948d4ea14409e38d47882b5a5c2d61d99d02b30b: scikit-hep packages: update to latest major.minor versions
-## 215e9f93f4de43095bd12e39809b9afeb89655f0: py-boost-histogram: depends_on py-setuptools-scm type build
-## 8aaec9b76104af2cf58e7be55485d6c2385b41ab: py-uproot: depends_on py-numpy@:1 when @:5.3.2
-## 8751ca4c4ba54559b40cdaa3c319bf14db72e28e: py-hist: add v2.6.2 thru v2.8.0 (switch to hatchling)
-## 2c1e68ded81add6d3d0fbc005ad19b0727639204: pythia8: add v8.314 and v8.315
-## a118c877bcca1d71810528ba481b8d3f819035f1: py-hist: fix py-boost-histogram dependency
-## 0c164b846058d9c57c9adb6b17ef86ead9f4b8c4: g4vg: new version 1.0.5
-## b440c61b9cddfab0fd59dd5fc607c95247a18bc9: force CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH to prefix/lib/root for ROOT
-## 698ce0531e4be2d55ca667d6f9341636397c2662: root: add v6.36.02
-## 1d53be2a26ecb7809c1f6006ed8cbfe7febee7a9: root: add v6.36.04
 ## a115a811bdfce4db5298a9ba9b7903ccfb0de101: github-copilot: new package
 ## 22dadd619053ff0872903549db616200bda082f0: claude-code: new package
-## 1b976bbdf7c5bce37d6541beb93445791f9292c6: py-keras: add v3.11.0
-## 20aa538bd0d33743b8cd9dd9179c759b85615d47: py-keras: add v3.11.1
-## 795ad32793a7dfda1086f31b7e49cf4ae52672f6: py-keras: add v3.11.2
-## e61079273e806301d76cc64f53fb034980988583: py-keras: add v3.11.3
-## b7870dfad11c4e8ca9690b0895c98f16d79f5398: py-keras: add v3.12.0
-## b063312bb52fb62010e04588f6b16d37e16c8d02: Remove Python-related deprecations
-## 7fad8a78d35b5556e1d7aa92a71a4e1c58a1665a: py-tensorflow: add v2.19, v2.20
-## 1e8f896b2807bcc48553e90d6212f0931fa5262f: simsipm: Add conflict for aarch64
-## e998e20d3979c5aa47faaf59a8020e3fab13ab97: py-immutables: add v0.21
-## 904792d49dc4236c5394dbc0aebbe45175b59187: py-yapf: add versions
-## a3f3a80e2877645c72cca0381c820307fe1d4523: py-numba: fix python dependency bounds
 ## 559789f67245a40306aeea636b61348e97d4f092: estarlight: add thru v1.2.0
 ## 95c45b6c3322e151fd29ed00ea10567b97705ee4: py-tensorflow: modify cuDNN dependency versions when +cuda
 ## d6f99b8d611cf740eb45e13df2c84044a4ca6ae4: py-tensorflow: patch to build with +cuda
-## bc25e5eb2f8f7a8733cdc10d92e9787358c82cfa: actsvg: patch version numbers into source source
-## c4d983b764d7b1ee2b63da79f5f25365ac61ce7a: Julia: add v1.11.6
-## 44da889cc86bb8a5315c729a7c79f2c002c9c951: Julia: add v1.11.7
 ## 5c37f836753e8f9683fdc547f3661c5045abcbd1: root: require openblas ~ilp64 symbol_suffix=none when ^openblas
 ## c75e10845431600b163c597545bd099e427c62f5: dd4hep: v1.33
 ## 438a7d95de1b81e15107edbf341b20824ec80635: root: add v6.36.06
-## c71f8e48245012565ac7b0648dfda137b0071de7: podio: Add latest tag 1.4 and 1.4.1
-## 4ef82e75f5cae7b4d093e41043e26b259498264e: Deprecation removals: P
-## 8d027b1651840631350d0ba9f30624f2baf26350: podio: Add version 1.5
-## 566e1b070e17ffe8c2d0bf4122568af8a81db1cd: podio: add v1.6
-## 048bffaea064919ccfc2f740e14bbb987e7f5c7e: podio: Add the conditional value 23 for cxxstd
 ## 6b57d7a93de84dd5492b9308a9612924ab641dce: podio: ensure Python.h is found in ROOT ACLiC
 ## ba94c07db577eaf5eb4b0450721fbc7e98879922: podio: use headers.directories[0] to get str, not list
-## 57a0c5d83aba319c37e51c7a6f965f28f49cdb77: eigen: add v3.4.0-44-g37248b26a
-## d0b0e511376f74be2cd3a2878bed781d39a6066a: eigen: Use Release build type by default
-## a6762cd1b4dff3297dd83664a6c09450324fc7bd: acts: only init submodules when +odd; HEP: rm opendatadetector
-## 158693457ba1717a89a9e2f9614c6982b6aff441: Deprecation removals: A-D
-## a46e40be55d002e4708303735f7eb4aca2482d0a: acts: deprecate versions :38
-## 96d1e30c389599be9b3d95a0af16b49afd8b6e31: eigen: add versions 5.0.0 and 3.4.1
-## 2050ba18c273506ebfd90744315850e55766fff7: acts: add upper limit on podio
-## 3c85253b0bd2bb61eae6b5532d657a34e0939c69: acts: add v44.0.0, v44.0.1, v44.1.0
-## d6b78b9ed0cf6ac3d6ddfcbc287bc0db3cd645e7: acts: Add +gnn variant and add necessary dependencies
 ## f201ecd5e5923b394d14f74bc220dea06b9ab28f: acts: add v44.2.0
 ## 2e05bbbe808442e761647da571500ee128654f4f: acts: add v44.3.0
 ## 9ec50db07733195bba922b8c6dcbbb1de9c56adf: ollama: add through v0.13.1
 ## d95db21e9c9fa6eab1a9e62e2ba56066f2f955a7: root: add v6.38.00
-## 9cf8ee9c28465568d0b8871f245c400470e74ec7: Deprecation removals: E-H
-## 78a6c5f0a2531a78be5c9dd9235cf92036d541f5: edm4hep: Add latest tags and update dependencies
 ## be6546b82b43d82edba804f1e362a709809ba537: gaudi: allow newer fmt for v39
 ## f5742718da7bd1d078ddc8423011a82ef2e3c759: gaudi: workaround test-dependency bug with a when
-## 56e5282f7ef78180895b5d99db57d2a166b6d0e1: celeritas: new versions 0.6.1, 0.6.2
 ## 922b2f6011dbf01aebb332a1ebf949b105c74247: celeritas: add v0.6.3
 ## 2ba80e697faf80613b038615b2345b7a777cc438: py-flatbuffers: add v25.9.23
+## 9e8f996350ac51c620e61a3a3980577fe471e35a: py-dask: add v2025.3.0 (for py-dask-awkward)
+## a4cc9fad86c9c3353e65bd379f708f70d9984bf0: py-distributed: fix typo
+## 760f3889877f17df24229a03d5dda25189b88a29: py-dask, py-distributed: add v2024.12.1 (for py-hist)
+## 2de6b7a78840d8e67113f190783a1c936709b643: py-dask, py-distributed: fix style
+## 7743e5ac5cdf9075800b3edacfed628c795a9a5e: harfbuzz: Ensure consistent meson builder with cairo dependency
+## b9ad19ee2ce47f8b7fbe187d41d898f873bbc121: harfbuzz/pango: add harfbuzz gobject variant (& req for pango)
+## 931b8f47ff9470b3f957f0bb462964702277301a: openblas: patch for +dynamic_dispatch target=aarch64