diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..771f352484
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2019 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 __future__ import print_function
+
+import argparse
+
+import spack
+import spack.cmd
+import spack.cmd.common.arguments as arguments
+import spack.package
+import spack.solver.asp as asp
+
+description = "concretize a specs using an ASP solver"
+section = 'developer'
+level = 'long'
+
+
+def setup_parser(subparser):
+    arguments.add_common_arguments(subparser, ['long', 'very_long'])
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '-y', '--yaml', action='store_true', default=False,
+        help='print concrete spec as YAML')
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '-c', '--cover', action='store',
+        default='nodes', choices=['nodes', 'edges', 'paths'],
+        help='how extensively to traverse the DAG (default: nodes)')
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '-N', '--namespaces', action='store_true', default=False,
+        help='show fully qualified package names')
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '-I', '--install-status', action='store_true', default=False,
+        help='show install status of packages. packages can be: '
+             'installed [+], missing and needed by an installed package [-], '
+             'or not installed (no annotation)')
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '-t', '--types', action='store_true', default=False,
+        help='show dependency types')
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        'specs', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER, help="specs of packages")
+
+
+def solve(parser, args):
+    specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.specs)
+    asp.solve(specs)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/package.py b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
index 725e1a69d3..ab03368135 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/package.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
@@ -763,6 +763,25 @@ def possible_dependencies(
 
         return visited
 
+    def enum_constraints(self, visited=None):
+        """Return transitive dependency constraints on this package."""
+        if visited is None:
+            visited = set()
+        visited.add(self.name)
+
+        names = []
+        clauses = []
+
+        for name in self.dependencies:
+            if name not in visited and not spack.spec.Spec(name).virtual:
+                pkg = spack.repo.get(name)
+                dvis, dnames, dclauses = pkg.enum_constraints(visited)
+                visited |= dvis
+                names.extend(dnames)
+                clauses.extend(dclauses)
+
+        return visited
+
     # package_dir and module are *class* properties (see PackageMeta),
     # but to make them work on instances we need these defs as well.
     @property
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/__init__.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..94f8ac4d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2019 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)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f810e5a1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,268 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2019 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 __future__ import print_function
+
+import collections
+import types
+
+import spack
+import spack.cmd
+import spack.spec
+import spack.package
+
+
+def title(name):
+    print()
+    print("%% %s" % name)
+    print("% -----------------------------------------")
+
+
+def section(name):
+    print()
+    print("%")
+    print("%% %s" % name)
+    print("%")
+
+
+def _id(thing):
+    """Quote string if needed for it to be a valid identifier."""
+    return '"%s"' % str(thing)
+
+
+def issequence(obj):
+    if isinstance(obj, basestring):
+        return False
+    return isinstance(obj, (collections.Sequence, types.GeneratorType))
+
+
+def listify(args):
+    if len(args) == 1 and issequence(args[0]):
+        return list(args[0])
+    return list(args)
+
+
+def packagize(pkg):
+    if isinstance(pkg, spack.package.PackageMeta):
+        return pkg
+    return spack.repo.path.get_pkg_class(pkg)
+
+
+def specify(spec):
+    if isinstance(spec, spack.spec.Spec):
+        return spec
+    return spack.spec.Spec(spec)
+
+
+class AspFunction(object):
+    def __init__(self, name):
+        self.name = name
+        self.args = []
+
+    def __call__(self, *args):
+        self.args[:] = args
+        return self
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return "%s(%s)" % (
+            self.name, ', '.join(_id(arg) for arg in self.args))
+
+
+class AspAnd(object):
+    def __init__(self, *args):
+        args = listify(args)
+        self.args = args
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        s = ", ".join(str(arg) for arg in self.args)
+        return s
+
+
+class AspOr(object):
+    def __init__(self, *args):
+        args = listify(args)
+        self.args = args
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return " | ".join(str(arg) for arg in self.args)
+
+
+class AspNot(object):
+    def __init__(self, arg):
+        self.arg = arg
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return "not %s" % self.arg
+
+
+class AspBuilder(object):
+    def _or(self, *args):
+        return AspOr(*args)
+
+    def _and(self, *args):
+        return AspAnd(*args)
+
+    def _not(self, arg):
+        return AspNot(arg)
+
+    def _fact(self, head):
+        """ASP fact (a rule without a body)."""
+        print("%s." % head)
+
+    def _rule(self, head, body):
+        """ASP rule (an implication)."""
+        print("%s :- %s." % (head, body))
+
+    def _constraint(self, body):
+        """ASP integrity constraint (rule with no head; can't be true)."""
+        print(":- %s." % body)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return AspFunction(name)
+
+
+asp = AspBuilder()
+
+
+def pkg_version_rules(pkg):
+    pkg = packagize(pkg)
+    asp._rule(
+        asp._or(asp.version(pkg.name, v) for v in pkg.versions),
+        asp.node(pkg.name))
+
+
+def spec_versions(spec):
+    spec = specify(spec)
+
+    if spec.concrete:
+        asp._rule(asp.version(spec.name, spec.version),
+                  asp.node(spec.name))
+    else:
+        version = spec.versions
+        impossible, possible = [], []
+        for v in spec.package.versions:
+            if v.satisfies(version):
+                possible.append(v)
+            else:
+                impossible.append(v)
+
+        if impossible:
+            asp._rule(
+                asp._and(asp._not(asp.version(spec.name, v))
+                         for v in impossible),
+                asp.node(spec.name))
+        if possible:
+            asp._rule(
+                asp._or(asp.version(spec.name, v) for v in possible),
+                asp.node(spec.name))
+
+
+def pkg_rules(pkg):
+    pkg = packagize(pkg)
+
+    # versions
+    pkg_version_rules(pkg)
+
+    # dependencies
+    for name, conditions in pkg.dependencies.items():
+        for cond, dep in conditions.items():
+            asp._fact(asp.depends_on(dep.pkg.name, dep.spec.name))
+
+
+def spec_rules(spec):
+    asp._fact(asp.node(spec.name))
+    spec_versions(spec)
+
+    # seed architecture at the root (we'll propagate later)
+    # TODO: use better semantics.
+    arch = spack.spec.ArchSpec(spack.architecture.sys_type())
+    spec_arch = spec.architecture
+    if spec_arch:
+        if spec_arch.platform:
+            arch.platform = spec_arch.platform
+        if spec_arch.os:
+            arch.os = spec_arch.os
+        if spec_arch.target:
+            arch.target = spec_arch.target
+    asp._fact(asp.arch_platform(spec.name, arch.platform))
+    asp._fact(asp.arch_os(spec.name, arch.os))
+    asp._fact(asp.arch_target(spec.name, arch.target))
+
+    # TODO
+    # dependencies
+    # compiler
+    # external_path
+    # external_module
+    # compiler_flags
+    # namespace
+
+#
+# These are handwritten parts for the Spack ASP model.
+#
+
+
+#: generate the problem space, establish cardinality constraints
+_generate = """\
+% One version, arch, etc. per package
+{ version(P, V) : version(P, V) } = 1             :- node(P).
+{ arch_platform(P, A) : arch_platform(P, A) } = 1 :- node(P).
+{ arch_os(P, A) : arch_os(P, A) } = 1             :- node(P).
+{ arch_target(P, T) : arch_target(P, T) } = 1     :- node(P).
+"""
+
+#: define the rules of Spack concretization
+_define = """\
+% dependencies imply new nodes.
+node(D) :- node(P), depends_on(P, D).
+
+% propagate platform, os, target downwards
+arch_platform(D, A) :- node(D), depends_on(P, D), arch_platform(P, A).
+arch_os(D, A) :- node(D), depends_on(P, D), arch_os(P, A).
+arch_target(D, A) :- node(D), depends_on(P, D), arch_target(P, A).
+"""
+
+#: what parts of the model to display to read models back in
+_display = """\
+#show node/1.
+#show depends_on/2.
+#show version/2.
+#show arch_platform/2.
+#show arch_os/2.
+#show arch_target/2.
+"""
+
+
+def solve(specs):
+    """Solve for a stable model of specs.
+
+    Arguments:
+        specs (list): list of Specs to solve.
+    """
+
+    # get list of all possible dependencies
+    pkg_names = set(spec.fullname for spec in specs)
+    pkgs = [spack.repo.path.get_pkg_class(name) for name in pkg_names]
+    pkgs = spack.package.possible_dependencies(*pkgs)
+
+    title("Generate")
+    print(_generate)
+
+    title("Define")
+    print(_define)
+
+    title("Package Constraints")
+    for pkg in pkgs:
+        section(pkg)
+        pkg_rules(pkg)
+
+    title("Spec Constraints")
+    for spec in specs:
+        section(str(spec))
+        spec_rules(spec)
+
+    title("Display")
+    print(_display)
+    print()
+    print()