[Ewasx]

First, let me preface this by saying "don't listen to me".

I'd say learn C first, nab a K&R ansi C book, vi, gcc and go to town. Even though it isn't taught in CS101 classes any more, I still think starting with C gives you a good foundation, doesn't protect you as much as C++/java/C# so you get a chance to royally F things up if you aren't careful, and you also don't pull your hair out trying to debug assembly.

That's just me, though I was a crotchety old unix admin in a different life (well, 12 years ago)

What everyone else is suggesting is fine too, you'll even be able to make something useful in a short amount of time.

One thing that's universal: Comment your code and keep a uniform style. It takes time and dedication, but you'll be able to debug things faster and you won't be asking yourself "WTF does this do" six months down the road.