Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: What C++ knowledge do I need before starting?

You should have:

• Basic C++ syntax (classes, templates, STL containers)
• Understanding of pointers and memory management
• Familiarity with command-line tools
• Basic computer architecture concepts (CPU, memory, cache)

See Prerequisites for details.

Q: Which operating systems are supported?

The project is primarily tested on Linux. macOS and Windows are supported on a best-effort basis:

• Linux: Full support (recommended for profiling tools)
• macOS: Build and tests work; some profiling tools may differ
• Windows: Build works with MSVC or WSL; some Unix-specific tools unavailable

Q: What compilers are supported?

• GCC 11+ (fully supported)
• Clang 14+ (fully supported)
• MSVC (best-effort support, some C++20 features may vary)

Q: Why are my benchmark results different from the documented ones?

Performance depends on multiple factors:

• CPU architecture: Different generations have different optimizations
• Memory speed: DDR4 vs DDR5, single vs dual channel
• Compiler version: Newer compilers may optimize better
• Background processes: Close other applications for consistent results
• Power settings: Use "performance" governor on Linux

Always run benchmarks multiple times and report statistical aggregates.

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Build Issues

Q: CMake configuration fails with "Could not find compiler"

Ensure you have a C++20 compatible compiler installed:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install build-essential g++-11

# Fedora
sudo dnf install gcc-c++

# macOS
xcode-select --install
# or
brew install gcc

Q: "FetchContent failed to download dependencies"

Check your network connection. If behind a proxy:

export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
cmake --preset=release

Or use offline mode with pre-downloaded dependencies.

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Runtime Issues

Q: Benchmarks run very slowly

Possible causes:

1. Debug build: Use release preset for performance measurements
2. CPU throttling: Set governor to performance:

   sudo cpupower frequency-set --governor performance

3. Background load: Close other applications
4. Virtual machine: VMs may have inconsistent performance

Q: "Permission denied" when running perf

perf requires appropriate permissions:

# Option 1: Run with sudo
sudo perf record ./your_benchmark

# Option 2: Adjust perf_event_paranoid
echo 1 | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid

# Option 3: Add user to perf group
sudo usermod -a -G perf $USER
# Log out and back in for changes to take effect

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Still Have Questions?

• 🐛 Open an Issue
• 💬 Start a Discussion
• 📧 Contact maintainers

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Related Documentation

• Troubleshooting - Detailed problem solving
• Learning Path - Study curriculum
• Profiling Guide - Performance analysis