Good morning folks!
A little backround first-I am basically a beginner in all things computer.
About 2.5 years ago I bought a used/abused HP Pavillion a810n Athlon 64 3300+ 2.4GHZ processor, 512MB RAM (now 1GB), SIS-junk 128mb graphics, and 160GB HD. It came with Windows XP, but no recovery disk(what's that?-i said to the seller-duh?). Anyway, I used the XP easily even though I had 0 computer experience. Being skilled in things like auto mech, woodworking, and just about anything else involving taking apart or building something, I quickly figured out how to manipulate Windows without really knowing how a computer person should do it. I started downloading ALL freeware and other useful stuff-including Glest!
Soon, I started trying to hack programs and see what happens(the HP cost me $20-so no loss?!). My first successful attempts happened with Glest when I started learning I could edit the XML files and create different characters, maps, etc. Soon, I had downloaded all the Glest ports and trying to hack them all into one game-which I eventually did! I had the starship trooper guys(and bugs) running around with the magic, indian, dwarf, and tech trees all on one 256x256 map!! At this time I was also playing with the Ubuntu 8.04 disk I ordered from Ubuntu(what's linux?).
So, I had installed inside windows cause I didn't know what a partition was or anything like that. Eventually I uninstalled Ubuntu as it was kind of alien to me, not like Windows.
Then, one day I was playing with Unetbootin, as I downloaded as much freeware, etc everyday that I could. Somehow, I did something wrong and when I rebooted--NOTHING-the blank black screen with the flashing cursor!!
Damn it Jim! I'm just an idiot!
LOL, I rebooted probably 3 more times before I realized she wasn't coming back and NO RECOVERY DISK!
I had a lot of files and stuff still in there(I didn't know this yet), as I am a fiction writer and most of my stuff was in there, though the originals resided on CD's and my trusty Kingston 4GB USB.
I was paniced by now-but decided to stick the Ubuntu disk in cause I remembered it saying something about booting the harddisk. Anyway, that didn't work, but I started Ubuntu live anyway, got to the Desktop, and soon had figured out that I could see all my files and that all my Windows stuff was still there, just couldn't get it to boot.
Well, I pulled all my files out and dragndropped'em into the USB-YES!
Now, everything else was basically expendable, but I didn't want to lose Windows!( Stupid me, I could have saved Windows, but...).
Being impatient, and not knowing how to get online via dial-up with Ubuntu, I ordered Ubuntu to install and we'll go from there!
Voila'-now I had a functioning computer, my files, but no Windows-time to learn how to manipulate this Linux-Ubuntu thing! Note-this was only 3 months ago!
So, after only 2 years of using a PC I am shocked by the death of my XP system! Not knowing what to do, I ordered broadband, cause I knew Ubuntu wanted it. Couple days later I got the modem,etc and hooked up!
By the way I've always been good at cables, electronics, etc, but the laymans approach, i.e., the ignorant way.
So, now I'm hooked back to the web and running Ubuntu 8.04-plain jane(what the hell-it's alot different than XP!)
Now, I delved fully into trying to understand and of course manipulate Linux into what I wanted and because I like to see how things work-the gears and such!
So, I started downloading and playing with different distros-I now have about 30-40 on CD's!
Pretty soon I was slicing and dicing my harddrive, installing different distro's daily-this HP was/is going through HELL!
I soon ran into the 4 primary partition limit and now had to figure out how to have at least 3 distro's, a swapspace, and a place for storage of all the ISO-files I was downloading daily!
Now, I have 3 primary partitions, and an extended partition that has my swapspace and my storage space-SEE Screenshot!
I made a large FAT32 partition, for file storage as I saw this from an online tutorial.
So, I started downloading all things LINUX!(XP-what's that?)
Screw Microscum! Why pay hundreds of dollars when you can have LINUX!
I thought.
Soon enough, I was back at trying to take apart linux and find out how it works-this happens to all things which I become interested in-they are "figured-out"!
I soon ran into all this command-line stuff, which I was/am still ignorant of. Being a perseverant pest, I knew there was a way to get around the command-line-at least somewhat.
Well-of course now I want to take apart everything inside LINUX-command-line, programming, etc!
By now I had found these little files in some of the ISO files I had taken apart-see scrnshot2.-Yes, I had to take apart the ISO's too-"extract here!"
AH! the way around the Command-line was found!-see scrnshot3-now I could put several distro's into one CD?DVD/USB! Just yesterday I downloaded the Slack 12.2 USBBOOTimg, copied via terminal and installed to USB. Then copied it to a folder and renamed syslinux.cfg/made a isolinux/syslinux folders, threw the isolinux.bin and isolinux.boot in there with the isolinux.cfg, used make_iso.sh, ran it on Qemu launcher(great tool!), and it works! Now I have a Slack 12.2 Netboot ISO-couldn't find one anywhere else!
I have also successfully now put over 15 distro's on one DVD, including Netbootcd 2.1, Slack-Mini-Server, Slampp, DSL-Billix version(just extract both DSL-4.40 iso and Billix iso, go into the Billix folder, into "DSL" folder, right-click and copy the KNOPPIX shell-script-that is the white rectangle with the blue diamond-the dsl OS-right? Now go into the dsl-4.40 folder, into the KNOPPIX folder and right click anywhere in the folder EXCEPT on the KNOPPIX shell itself. When right-clicking, choose "paste",it will say cancel/skip or replace-choose REPLACE, this will overwrite the KNOPPIX/DSL-4.4.0 file with the KNOPPIX/Billix file-now you have a cool DSL-with cool themes,wallpaper, etc, without all the other billix stuff.
Was that confusing? Well, I now have Slack 12.2 on partition 1, DSL(billix) on partion 2, and SuperUbuntu 8.10 on partition 3.
I thought if I'm going to learn Linux, start with Slackware, or something just as challenging, maybe Debian. I really wanna learn the nuts and bolts and hopefully a career!, in linux.
I am learning the command-line, and now wanna learn C programming(the right way), and then I'll learn C++. I think I should start with just C and then onto C++, as there are differences.
I am reading the Slackbook, and still "poorman's hacking" Linux(destroying partitions, rebooting a hundred times a day!-Soon the old HP is gonna blow up!)
I noticed Ubuntu and lots of others freeze alot-don't know why?!
though they never freeze when running off of Live CD!
Now I dont know what I should download to begin learning C programming-there is so much available-just in the SuperUbuntu Synaptic there are many IDE's, compilers, Java, perl, python, etc.-where to start!!
Alot of this stuff is confusing-so Please tell me what to get to begin as a C-only programmer?
Meaning one basic set of tools?and helpful links please.
I am very appreciative of this forum, and anyone who devotes their time to linux for others-that's just cool!
But, working 8+ hours a day(cabinet/furniture-maker/installer), and time figuring out linux, I don't have much time to answer some of my posts here and I am sorry for that-and will start contributing.
I am going to write some articles/tutorials here on my experiences with linux and my tips and tricks I have learned-though most would be considered "McGyver-like", i.e. "jerry-Rigging". But, that's how I learned, and I'm sure some of it will be helpful to Newbie's like me.
I really want to learn the command line and programming the right way and then maybe I can download "Sorcerer", "Source-Mage", etc and start the real fun! I have a thirst for knowledge and linux is very much like Magic, maybe a mirror of Magic- a different branch.
So, hope my ramblings haven't confused anyone, and I will answer anyone who comments. Thanks for your patience and God Bless All!

To start out learning C you will need either a good reference book, some URL's with C-Reference info's, so you know what standard functions exist. Also get some tutorials about using Makefiles.

At this point it is quite overkill to be obsessive about tool - any plain text editor will do (vi, gedit, kate, kwrite). If you prefer GUI tools, you can try out Anjuta when using gcc or install the LCC compiler (Linux version) for a compiler IDE combo.

In time also try out some version control tools (cvs, jam, ...).

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