[w0utert]

Well last time I checked the Linux kernel was C and not C++, so that might explain why ;-).

I don't know anything about kernel programming, but I assume that there's some very, very strict conventions about how the various parts of the Linux kernel interact, and nothing gets accepted for merging unless you follow them. This would be similar to imposing scope/visibility constraints at the language level, but considering C doesn't have anything for that, an extremely strict development process is the best you can do.

[picacho]

emm... All we could say is that, kernel programmers'/reviewers' technical background is much higher/better than average python programmers'/reviewers'. Seen too many times these "Mr/Mrs. More or less" engineers simply modify the internal states as short cuts to compensate real engineering.