Article by Ayman Alheraki on January 11 2026 10:37 AM
High-level languages like Python and Java abstract away direct hardware interaction. They cannot directly manage memory addresses or CPU registers, which are essential for systems programming. Operating systems, device drivers, and other kernel-level components require precise control that these languages don’t provide ([GeeksforGeeks, 2025])
For example, Python lacks native access to system-level interfaces, garbage collection introduces inefficiencies, and its interpreter layer prevents direct memory addressing— making it unsuitable for OS kernels or drivers ([GeeksforGeeks, 2025])
High-level languages introduce significant performance penalties due to interpretation, runtime environments, and garbage collection. This overhead leads to slower execution speed and larger memory footprints relative to compiled low-level or mid-level
languages ([Quanswer, 2023]) quanswer.com.
Specifically, the “abstraction penalty” refers to extra runtime cost from bounds checks, virtual dispatch, runtime type checks, and automatic memory safety features that reduce performance ([Wikipedia, 2025])
Automatic memory management in high-level languages simplifies development but imposes unpredictable latency, making them unsuitable for real-time or latency-critical systems. Garbage collection pauses may lead to unacceptable lag in embedded systems or kernel modules ([Turn0search3, 2025])
Furthermore, high-level automated management restricts programmer control over allocation and deallocation timing, which is vital in low-level systems development.
High abstraction layers in high-level languages make it difficult to trace how high-level constructs map to machine instructions. Debugging system-level issues—such as buffer overflows or race conditions—becomes opaque and unreliable, because the runtime environment handles many low-level behaviors invisibly ([Techwalla, 2025]) techwalla.com
High-level languages often rely heavily on external libraries and runtimes, which can introduce compatibility issues, increase attack surface, and hinder deployment in minimal environments like firmware or bootloaders ([DigitalThinkerHelp, 2025]) digitalthinkerhelp.com.
Embedding Python or Java into a kernel space would require packaging their entire runtime environment, which is typically impractical for systems programming ([GeeksforGeeks, 2025])
Systems components such as device drivers require consistent and deterministic timing because hardware devices expect precise responses. High-level languages with garbage collection, just-in-time compiling, or interpreter overhead cannot guarantee consistent timing behavior, making them unsuitable for such tasks ([Reddit discussion, 2021]) reddit.com.
| Limitation | Implication in Systems Development |
|---|---|
| Limited hardware control | Cannot manage memory pointers or registers directly |
| Performance overhead | Slower execution, larger binaries, less efficient resource usage |
| Unpredictable memory management | Garbage collection causes latency; poor for real-time systems |
| Low-level debugging difficulty | Hard to map runtime errors to machine-level failures |
| Dependency and runtime bulkiness | Not suitable for embedded or minimal environments |
| Non-deterministic performance | Unreliable timing in driver and kernel-level operations |
GeeksforGeeks (Last updated July 2025): Why Python cannot be used for making an OS — Details on low-level access limitations, runtime overhead, and bootstrapping issues in high-level environments
GeeksforGeeks quanswer.com en.itpedia.nl en.wikipedia.org reddit.com.
LearnXYZ article (2025): Outlines limitations in performance, memory management, and hardware control when using Python for systems programming learnxyz.in.
Quanswer community Q&A (2023): Lists execution speed, memory usage, hardware access restrictions, and higher-level abstraction downsides
Wikipedia (2025): High-level programming language — Explains abstraction penalties and performance costs
Techwalla article (2025): Highlights why high-level languages struggle with system-level tasks, including limited access to system resources techwalla.com.
Reddit discussion (r/learnprogramming, April 2021): Explains timing and determinism constraints that prevent languages like Java/Python from effective use in device drivers and kernels