Summary:
Developing real-time audio software requires avoiding tasks that can block the audio processing thread, such as disk accesses or printing, to prevent glitches. Principles are universal across operating systems like Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, despite differences in APIs. Notably, ensuring code executes efficiently within buffer periods and avoiding unbounded execution times is critical. Avoiding locks in audio callbacks due to priority inversion, unbounded execution time risks, and potential scheduler issues is crucial. Any form of memory allocation, like malloc or new calls, should be avoided in audio callbacks to maintain performance. Overall, maintaining real-time audio software requires strict adherence to time-sensitive coding practices.
http://www.rossbencina.com/code/real-time-audio-programming-101-time-waits-for-nothing