Agent skill

Build Acceleration

by mohitmishra786 in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills

Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

MITAuto-check passedGame Development

Install Build Acceleration

skills CLI
$ npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill build-acceleration -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills build-acceleration --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/build-systems/build-acceleration .claude/skills/build-acceleration && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
build-acceleration
GitHub stars
252
Token cost
~1.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
284 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
138
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

  • Works in 8 steps: Diagnose the bottleneck first → ccache — compiler cache → sccache — cloud-compatible cache (Rust,… → …
  • Reducing compilation times with ccache
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, Triggers, Workflow and Related skills
  • Calls cmake, apt-get and brew

What it does

Build Acceleration is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects. Use when reducing compilation times with ccache, sccache, distcc, unity builds, precompiled headers, split DWARF, or IWYU. Covers caching strategies, distributed compilation, link time reduction, and diagnosing build bottlenecks. Activates on queries about slow builds, ccache, sccache, precompiled headers, unity builds, split-DWARF, or reducing C++ compile times.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/ccache-config.md`).

It sits in Game Development, covering Caching. It works with C++ and Rust. The repository describes itself as: A curated suite of AI agent skills for systems and low-level programming with C/C++, Rust, and Zig toolchains, covering compilers, debuggers, profilers, build systems…. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Reducing compilation times with ccache
  • Precompiled headers

Example prompts

  • “/build-acceleration”

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Diagnose the bottleneck first
  2. ccache — compiler cache
  3. sccache — cloud-compatible cache (Rust, C/C++)
  4. Precompiled headers (PCH)
  5. Unity / jumbo builds
  6. split-DWARF — reduce link time
  7. distcc — distributed compilation
  8. Include pruning with IWYU

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bdc5847. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • cmake
    • apt-get
    • brew
    • cargo
    • make

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Build Acceleration loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.2k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 107 tokens; SKILL.md has 284 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~107
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.4k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~2.2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills at commit bdc5847, republished under its MIT licence (© mohitmishra786). 284 words, ~1,438 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/build-acceleration/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
build-acceleration
description
Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects. Use when reducing compilation times with ccache, sccache, distcc, unity builds, precompiled headers, split DWARF, or IWYU. Covers caching strategies, distributed compilation, link time reduction, and diagnosing build bottlenecks. Activates on queries about slow builds, ccache, sccache, precompiled headers, unity builds, split-DWARF, or reducing C++ compile times.

Build Acceleration

Purpose

Guide agents through reducing C/C++ build times using caching (ccache/sccache), distributed compilation (distcc), unity/jumbo builds, precompiled headers, split-DWARF for faster linking, and include pruning with IWYU.

Triggers

  • "My C++ build is too slow — how do I speed it up?"
  • "How do I set up ccache / sccache?"
  • "How do precompiled headers work with CMake?"
  • "How do I set up distributed compilation with distcc?"
  • "How do I reduce link times with split-DWARF?"
  • "How do I find which headers are slowing down compilation?"

Workflow

1. Diagnose the bottleneck first
bash
# Time the full build
time cmake --build build -j$(nproc)

# Find the slowest TUs (CMake ≥3.16 with --profiling-output)
cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-ftime-report"
cmake --build build 2>&1 | grep "Total" | sort -t: -k2 -rn | head -20

# Ninja build timings (use ninja -j1 for serial timing)
ninja -C build -j1 2>&1 | grep "^\[" | sort -t" " -k2 -rn | head -20
2. ccache — compiler cache
bash
# Install
apt-get install ccache   # Ubuntu/Debian
brew install ccache      # macOS

# Check hit rate
ccache -s

# Configure cache size (default 5GB)
ccache -M 20G

# Invalidate cache if needed
ccache -C

CMake integration (recommended over prefix hacks):

cmake
# CMakeLists.txt
find_program(CCACHE_PROGRAM ccache)
if(CCACHE_PROGRAM)
    set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER   ${CCACHE_PROGRAM})
    set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER ${CCACHE_PROGRAM})
endif()

Key ~/.config/ccache/ccache.conf options:

ini
max_size = 20G
compression = true
compression_level = 6
# For CI: share cache across jobs
cache_dir = /shared/ccache
3. sccache — cloud-compatible cache (Rust, C/C++)
bash
cargo install sccache
# Or: brew install sccache

# Set as compiler launcher
export RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache          # for Rust
export CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=sccache    # for CMake

# With S3 backend
export SCCACHE_BUCKET=my-build-cache
export SCCACHE_REGION=us-east-1
sccache --start-server

sccache --show-stats
4. Precompiled headers (PCH)

PCH compiles a large header once and reuses the binary form.

cmake
# CMake ≥3.16 native PCH support
target_precompile_headers(mylib PRIVATE
    <vector>
    <string>
    <unordered_map>
    "myproject/common.h"
)

# Share PCH across targets (avoids recompilation)
target_precompile_headers(myapp REUSE_FROM mylib)
c
// Traditional: stdafx.h / pch.h approach
// All TUs include pch.h as the very first include
// pch.h includes heavy system headers
#pragma once
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

PCH is most effective when headers are large and stable (STL, Boost, Qt). Avoid PCH for frequently-changing project headers.

5. Unity / jumbo builds

Combine multiple .cpp files into one TU to reduce header parsing overhead and improve inlining.

cmake
# CMake ≥3.16 unity build
set_target_properties(mylib PROPERTIES UNITY_BUILD ON)
# Control batch size (default 8 files per unity TU)
set_target_properties(mylib PROPERTIES UNITY_BUILD_BATCH_SIZE 16)

# Exclude specific files from unity (e.g., if they have ODR issues)
set_source_files_properties(problem.cpp PROPERTIES SKIP_UNITY_BUILD_INCLUSION ON)

Manual unity file:

cpp
// unity_build.cpp
#include "module_a.cpp"
#include "module_b.cpp"
#include "module_c.cpp"

Watch out for: anonymous namespaces (each TU has its own), using namespace in headers, duplicate static variables.

Split DWARF puts debug info in .dwo sidecar files, dramatically reducing what the linker must process.

bash
# GCC / Clang
gcc -g -gsplit-dwarf -o prog main.c

# CMake global
add_compile_options(-gsplit-dwarf)

# Combine .dwo files for distribution (optional)
dwp -o prog.dwp prog  # GNU dwp tool

Pair with --gdb-index for faster GDB startup:

bash
gcc -g -gsplit-dwarf -Wl,--gdb-index -o prog main.c

Link time comparison (large project, typical): -g full DWARF ~4×–6× longer link vs -gsplit-dwarf.

7. distcc — distributed compilation
bash
# Install on all machines
apt-get install distcc

# Start daemon on worker machines
distccd --daemon --allow 192.168.1.0/24 --jobs 8

# Client: set DISTCC_HOSTS
export DISTCC_HOSTS="localhost/4 worker1/8 worker2/8"
make -j20 CC="distcc gcc"

# CMake integration
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER distcc)
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER distcc)

Stack with ccache: CC="ccache distcc gcc" — ccache checks local cache first, falls back to distcc.

8. Include pruning with IWYU
bash
# Install
apt-get install iwyu

# Run via CMake
cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE=iwyu
cmake --build build 2>&1 | tee iwyu.log

# Apply fixes automatically
fix_include < iwyu.log --nosafe_headers

See skills/build-systems/include-what-you-use for full IWYU workflow.

For ccache configuration options, see references/ccache-config.md.

  • Use skills/build-systems/cmake for CMake project structure
  • Use skills/build-systems/include-what-you-use for IWYU header pruning
  • Use skills/rust/rust-build-times for Rust-specific build acceleration
  • Use skills/debuggers/dwarf-debug-format for split-DWARF internals

© mohitmishra786, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/build-systems/build-acceleration of mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/ccache-config.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bdc5847

Compare with similar skills

Build Acceleration next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

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SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Build Acceleration this skillmohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills252—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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New Effect Noden1m21n/Infinite271—~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
SeekDB Code Reviewoceanbase/seekdb3.1k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Fory Version Bumpapache/fory4.6k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Add Grammarafnanenayet/diffsitter2.4k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Works with

Questions about Build Acceleration

What does Build Acceleration do?

Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Build Acceleration is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Build acceleration skill for C/C++ projects.

When should I use Build Acceleration?

Build Acceleration fits situations like: reducing compilation times with ccache; precompiled headers.

How do I install Build Acceleration in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill build-acceleration -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/build-systems/build-acceleration in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .claude/skills/build-acceleration in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Build Acceleration in Codex?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill build-acceleration -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/build-systems/build-acceleration in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .agents/skills/build-acceleration in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Build Acceleration in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill build-acceleration -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/build-acceleration, .gemini/skills/build-acceleration, .github/skills/build-acceleration and .opencode/skills/build-acceleration in your project.

What does Build Acceleration need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Build Acceleration needs the command-line tools its instructions call (cmake, apt-get, brew, cargo and make).

Does Build Acceleration access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Build Acceleration safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Build Acceleration use?

Build Acceleration is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Build Acceleration use?

About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 739 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Build Acceleration?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Build Acceleration: Gdextension (jame581/GodotPrompter, 805 stars), New Effect Node (n1m21n/Infinite, 271 stars), SeekDB Code Review (oceanbase/seekdb, 3.1k stars) and Fory Version Bump (apache/fory, 4.6k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Build Acceleration?

mohitmishra786 (a GitHub user) maintains it in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills, which has 252 GitHub stars. The repository holds 138 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 27, 2026.

Source: mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.