OSCompatible

OSCompatible is a cross-platform C++ threading library that extends the familiar std::thread style API with operating-system–specific thread controls:

• Thread priority
• Thread scheduling policy
• CPU affinity (core binding)

It currently supports Windows and Linux, while keeping your code portable and easy to read.

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Why OSCompatible?

The C++ standard library intentionally keeps std::thread minimal. As a result, important system-level features are missing or platform-specific:

• You cannot set thread priority portably
• You cannot select a scheduling policy
• You cannot bind a thread to specific CPU cores

OSCompatible solves this by providing a small, lightweight wrapper that:

• Preserves a std::thread-like construction style
• Adds optional per-thread properties
• Uses native OS APIs internally

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Features

• ✅ Cross-platform (Windows & Linux)
• ✅ std::thread-style API
• ✅ Thread priority control
• ✅ Scheduling policy support
• ✅ CPU affinity (core pinning)
• ✅ CMake-based build system
• ✅ No external dependencies

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Basic Usage

Simple usage (similar to std::thread)

#include <OSCompatible/thread.hpp>

void worker(int value)
{
    // do work
}

int main()
{
    OSCompatible::thread t(worker, 42);
    t.join();
}

Using thread properties (priority / policy / affinity)

#include <OSCompatible/thread.hpp>

void realtime_task()
{
    // time-critical work
}

int main()
{
    OSCompatible::thread::Properties props = {
        OSCompatible::thread::DEFAULT_PRIORITY,
        OSCompatible::thread::DEFAULT_POLICY,
        OSCompatible::thread::DEFAULT_AFFINITY
    };

    OSCompatible::thread t(props, realtime_task);
    t.join();
}

Thread behavior depends on the underlying operating system and user permissions.

Building

The project uses CMake.

git clone https://github.com/rostik36/OSCompatible.git
cd OSCompatible
cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build

Integration

Add as a subdirectory

add_subdirectory(OSCompatible)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE OSCompatible)

Or use FetchContent

include(FetchContent)

FetchContent_Declare(
  OSCompatible
  GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/rostik36/OSCompatible.git
  GIT_TAG main
)

FetchContent_MakeAvailable(OSCompatible)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE OSCompatible)

Platform Notes

Linux

• Scheduling policies such as SCHED_FIFO or SCHED_RR may require:

  • elevated privileges

  • CAP_SYS_NICE

  • appropriate system limits

• Windows

  • Thread priority and CPU affinity are implemented using native Windows thread APIs.

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Project Goals

• Keep the API simple and familiar

• Avoid hiding OS limitations

• Make advanced threading features explicit and portable

• Stay lightweight and dependency-free

License

MIT License