CMake is a very powerful set of tools for creating cross-platform builds and installs from source for C, C++, Fortran, CUDA, HIP and other compiled languages. CMake enjoys broad adoption in the CSE, HPC, ASC and other communities. (CMake is now the most popular C++ build tool.) However, CMake developed several usability and robustness issues with its core scripting language as CMake evolved over 20+ years due to backward compatibility constraints. In response, some alternatives to CMake have been created that are growing in popularity (e.g. Meson). As these other tools grow in adoption and functionality, there may come a point where these alternatives become a viable replacement for CMake for many projects (with some more development in these tools). The transition from CMake to another build system for just ASC projects could cost $10+ million and would negatively impact productivity and deliverables during these transitions. (The CSE communities have already been through this type of transition once with the…