Beginners programming

I'm sure you have seen this thread a million times, so once I get a satisfactory answer I will let it die/sage

What should the first language I learn be?
What program should I write it in?
What's the best compiler for the language you are advising me to try?
Should I do my work on Linux or Windows?
Best book, or site that will teach me the language?
Any other thoughts?

>>30
Don't get me wrong; I think Visual Studio is far superior to the gcc.  On the other hand, it is much more cumbersome for a new programmer to try to figure out how to setup a new project, especially if it is a Windows project which comes with tons of already written code that you have to understand, then a simple gcc -o myprog myprog.c