How to compile source code without reaching 100% CPU usage?

[sly leaf]

I am trying to build a Github project that uses waf from source while having limited resource usage, regardless if it would take longer to finish or not.
OS: Manjaro
Processors: 8 × AMD Ryzen 5 2500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gf

I have tried:
-running nice -15 ./waf
-limiting the CPU usage of the Konsole process in question using limitcpu from AUR
These didn't seem to have any effect.

Story time:
The reason I don't want the compiling to be heavy on resources is that I have some CPU-related bug which makes my system freeze randomly, especially when there is heavy CPU usage. My OS always freezes when ~75% of the compiling has finished. Normally, one should get to the root of the problem, yet I did try so in the past and found out it is related to AMD Ryzen processors on ASUS laptops, and that to fix it I would need to update my BIOS and activate some setting, yet I am already on the latest official version for my laptop and the setting isn't there. I have tried some other solutions I found online unsuccessfully.

So, I'm looking for a band-aid solution at the moment.

[twilit pier]

1. Don't use Manjaro.
2. Aur packages or GitHub projects will do indeed use your resources a lot as it needs to compile locally. You can tune it by editing a file iirc but beware of potential breakage

[sly leaf]

1. Thanks for the feedback.
2. If I understand correctly, I can change the resource usage by editing a file in the github project? How can I find such file?

As an addition to point 1, that bug is not distro-specific.

[twilit pier]

Still. Prefer arch over Manjaro

[twilit pier]

Not really. You have to edit a config on your system

Can't help rn

[sly leaf]

Alright. I would appreciate if you do whenever you can.

[twilit pier]

Once i get off work, I'll do

[sly leaf]

Tried adding * hard priority 25 to /etc/security/limits/limits.conf and restarting. No effects.
I discoverered that running limitcpu -l -10 -p konsole_process_id -m does limit the CPU usage of the whole compiling process. I have added the --monitor-forks flag which works for the Konsole child processes, but it does not limit the ones that have later been started.