Hmmph, you were either using a truly substandard toolchain or you have little clue about what you are doing. The whole point of a library is, it doesn't become part of your program if you don't use it and doesn't use up memory. If you don't use exceptions for example, the exception support won't be linked in. Likewise iostreams. Check the headers you included.

Rubbish. You don't need to look any further than the "max" function to falsify that claim.

What is up with the nasty/evil modding in this thread?

The Linux kernel makes heavy use of big ugly, hard to maintain or read macros that generate arbitrary machine code. No matter how good you are, you won't know what code is being generated without extensive analysis. In any case, the exact same ugly macros can be used by C++, if you are really wedded to that kind of bad taste. C in fact has no addtional features in this area, it only lacks features that C++ has.

If you want to point at features that C has which C++ does not then you get a very small set, which in the case of the kernel consists mostly of designated initializers.

C++ object can be linked with C code, I have used that ability to add C++ code incrementally to projects originally developed in C. As a result, have had plenty of opportunity to compare the C++ result to the original C. Typically, equivalent or identical object code but source is more consise, readable and maintainable.

I take it that only luddites and sycophants are moderating this thread. Look, Linus has many great qualities for which I admire him, but sometimes he just drops the ball. Other examples: initial refusal to use any form of source control. Initial refusal to allow an in-kernel debugger. Plenty of other examples. Eventually he usually figures these things out eventually, but it can take time. Sometimes ridiculous amounts of time.

You're making that up. Linus's actual arguments against C++ for kernel is mainy rhetoric about "substandard programmers". The real issue is that Linus has no real experience with C++, therefore does not deeply understand its organizational advantages. Speaking as a longtime C hacker who did make the effort to figure out what C++ is all about. It's true, C++ is far from perfect, but on the whole it beats the crap out of good ole C along multiple dimensions.

Not a great comparison Big physics requires precise alignment, computer equipment not so much.

Hmmph. According to news reports, some Tokyo data centers established backup locations in Osaka, near the epicenter of Great Hanshin earthquake. Hardly a "more stable location".