How to Avoid Headaches with Simple CMake

Learn to simplify CMake usage and avoid common frustrations in this conference talk from C++Now 2025. Discover modern CMake principles that have been available for about a decade but are often underutilized, leading to overcomplicated projects and steep learning curves. Explore practical approaches to keep CMake implementations straightforward while maintaining effectiveness, as demonstrated by a CMake veteran who emphasizes treating projects more systematically. Master up-to-date CMake basics that provide real value while identifying which advanced features you can safely skip to reduce complexity. Follow along with a reference project that demonstrates these concepts in action, making it easier to apply these principles to your own work. Gain insights into new open-source C++ projects designed to improve developer quality of life while maintaining the "it just works" experience. Understand how to make authoring and maintaining C++ codebases simpler and more intuitive through better build system practices, with particular focus on the software development lifecycle, development automation, modern build systems, and packaging approaches.