i have always used visual studio for c++

so i don't even know what gcc is. something like a compiler or "compiler kernel" like linux is. how can i use it, where to dl.

An IDE, or "Integrated Development Environment" will turn you stupid. They are the worst tools if you want to be a good programmer because they hide what's going on from you, and your job is to know what's going on. They are useful if you're trying to get something done and the platform is designed around a particular IDE, but for learning to code C (and many other languages) they are pointless.