What OS? Linux, of course. When TPB order everything locked down, you don't want to be caught using a Microsoft OS. -- What distribution? The easy path is Ubuntu, with the Cinnamon UI, or LinuxMint 13, when issued (May 2012).

What IDE? There's lots to choose from. My favorite is "geany".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geany

For TCP/IP protocol tutorial. Recently updated by Wright:
Stevens, "TCP/IP Illustrated", 3-volume set.

http://www.amazon.com/TCP-IP-Illustrated-Volume-Set/dp/0201776316

On human interface guidelines relevant to programming:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_interface_guidelines

For GNOME 2, see:

http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/

To develop Linux applications:

You are right. You MUST know how to program in C. When others tell you that object oriented programming is the thing, know that you can do object oriented programming in C. Avoid interpreted languages (Python, Java, and others) as a first programming language. Interpreted languages teach bad habits and hid too much of what's going on from you such that debugging becomes difficult to impossible.

However, if all you intend is "casual programming", the Python will do, if you must. It's just not the best choice first a first language if your intent is to become a "professional programmer". I use Python myself; It works for what I need to do quick and dirty.

Definitive, but for experienced programmers:

http://www.amazon.com/C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/dp/0131103628/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335197606&sr=1-1

As a tutorial for someone learning a first programming language and how to program from zero:

Perry, "Absolute Beginner's Guide to C", 2ed.
-- I have not read the book, but the ToC looks reasonable for a beginner.

http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-2nd-Edition/dp/0672305100/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335197606&sr=1-6

OK, you don't want a full CS curriculum, but some topics in discrete mathematics are mandatory. ... Ack! Having looked over the offerings at Amazon, I believe that Epp, "Discrete Mathematics with Applications" may be the best of the lot, but at $187, it is hard to recommend without knowing your intent and interest. The reason I suggest this title is that it looks focused on application to computer science topics. It covers a number of topics that are NOT covered in many of the other titles, enough so that should you use other texts you will have spent more than the $187 that this title includes. JMHO.

http://www.amazon.com/Discrete-Mathematics-Applications-Susanna-Epp/dp/0495391328/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335199316&sr=1-1

See also: Sedgwick, "Algorithms" -- You'll probably need it sooner than later.

http://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-4th-Edition-Robert-Sedgewick/dp/032157351X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335200153&sr=1-1

Remember that Linux OS? You are going to need some programming tools, right? If you intend to write GUI applications based on the GTK+ toolkit, then install the package "glade" or "glade-gtk". Installing a glade package will suck in over 100 other packages essential to building a GTK based GUI application. Specifying glade to the package manager is just easier that finding and installing all the other necessary parts by hand.

If you are going to do command line based UI programs, then package "build-essentials" should be adequate.

There are some other things to read:

On how to organize, grow and maintain a Linux software development project: Fogel, "Producing Open Source Software"

http://producingoss.com/

You can read it online here, but buy the book too to help support Fogel. He's gotta eat too.

On the culture of writing Open Source Software:

Raymond, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/

Linux programming is not like Windows programming.
Read and study ESR's TAOP.

Raymond, "The Art of Unix Programming"

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/

You can read it online, free. However, buy a hardcopy too. Raymond has to eat too.

Now to get really technical. What interface do you write to?

Kerrick, "The Linux Programming Interface: A Linux and UNIX System Programming Handbook"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Linux-Programming-Interface-Handbook/dp/1593272200/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335201257&sr=1-1#reader_1593272200

Beginning to focus on GNU style programming:

GNU Coding Standards

https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/

GNU Coding Standards is more than how to and how much to indent a line or how to set braces. You will get into the topic of Make and Autotools. Make is a program to build complex softare and Autotools is about how to build a package for distribution, the package that any Unix flavor can use; it is not focused on any specific distribution. See also: "configure and make"

Enough! There's more, but I have too much time in this already for today.

[edit: typos]

I had no real programming experience before I started C as part of a university course. Thankfully, my first course was on the language itself so the problems were all based around understanding the fundamentals of C itself (not on the theory of algorithms).

I know some people here are criticising it as a first language choice, and I'll admit that I am in two minds about recommending it. However, I'm struggling to think of a better choice.
So I'll assume that isn't up for debate or maybe even the class recommends it?

Unfortunately I have never taken a relevant MOOC in this area. I have looked at several books however:

I can't avoid mentioning The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie aka K&R - if only to say I dont recommend it. I own a copy and feel its not really appropriate for a complete beginner. Its not a book you can sit down and read through. Its basically a reference manual, to be used to help provide context for a particular problem. Unfortunately, at the start I would know what I wanted to achieve but didn't know the correct terminology to describe it, in which case the index becomes useless (even Google can't work these types of miracles).

Absolute Beginner's Guide to C by Greg Perry is however very readable. Its probably a little too verbose for someone who has prior programming experience - as the title suggests its written for the absolute beginner. It should be ideal for you however. If you are prepared to go for a book rather than a MOOC I highly recommend it.

C is worth learning in my opinion. I'm a CS student so certainly not an authority on languages, but everything that's really cool I want to work on, and the problems that really interest me, tend to be in C. If you ever wanted to study operating systems then C is vital. You can go download the entire linux kernel and read it's internals, study how it works and try to wrap your head around why certain things were done in certain ways.

If you want to study algorithms and data structures, c is wonderful. Have you ever wondered how queues are actually structured in memory while you were using Java? Or lists, or strings, or objects in general?

Memory management, how the stack works when a function gets called, how the memory alignment of certain structures can decrease cache misses... There's so many cool topics that you can really dig into with C that you don't have the freedom to really mess with in higher level languages. The downside being you have plenty of rope to hang yourself with, but man the problems you run into can be so much fun.

Embedded systems are cool. Being able to take an Atmel or TI microcontroller and cobble together beautiful useful systems. This is what really invigorated me with regards to C when I was starting out. Snag yourself a cheap ATtiny AVR, a couple data sheets, a programmer and some tutorials and dive in.

As far as an IDE, I really wouldn't recommend one. Just use a text editor of some sort. For instance I do a lot of my coding right now in Sublime Text. All I really use it for is the highlighting. Everything else is done in the terminal. gcc is free and works fairly well, and in regards to referencing I generally just use the man pages or google when I want to get a quick idea on how to use something.

From what I've seen, and what I've heard from friends who are already working, if you can write good clean C it will help you in any other language you pick up. The language doesn't hold your hand.

K&R is one of those books you certainly want to have, but it isn't really what I'd start out with at first. I'm a little embarrased to admit it but I started with "Absolute Beginners Guide to C" by Perry. I didn't have any type of programming background though so you might be more inclined to something like "Programming in C" by Kochan.

Start with C. People say not to but I don't understand why. You'll definitely learn the concepts. Go here for some learning: http://cslibrary.stanford.edu/ . If you need more of a fresh start buy a textbook on amazon and start working through it. This one has good reviews although I've never read it: http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-C-2nd/dp/0672305100/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312264160&sr=1-1 . It should have exercises that you do along the way and that is how you learn. If you get stuck or want some more programs to make send me a message.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to C: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0672305100/

It's old, but it will definitely get you started. Of course the other recommendations are good too, but this might be worth a look.

Is this the "Absolute beginners guide to C" you were referring to?

https://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-C-2nd/dp/0672305100/

If you're new to programming, I will suggest starting off with this prior to studying JavaScript specific books:

The Absolute Beginner's Guide to C

It's a perfect for people just starting out as it teaches the basics while being super easy to follow. Even though it's a book about C programming from 1994, most of today's common programming languages, including ECMAScript/JavaScript, are based on C, so the lessons in the book are still entirely valid.

Oops, I meant "writing", but I meant that you should write programs to solve tutorial exercises. You can't learn to program just by reading, you have to practice it.

From what I've seen of CarlHProgramming tutorials, they're great! I would highly recommend starting there over K&R. (Do read K&R, but read it in a month or so, after you've tried programming a while.)

Or, any book that teaches programming and not just the C language would be good, for example:

http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-C-2nd/dp/0672305100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288834345&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-3rd-Stephen-G-Kochan/dp/0672326663/ref=pd_cp_b_3

Its very old now, but I remember trying to read a few programming books, and didn't start to understand the basic fundamentals until I read this book which seemed a lot easier than the rest: http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-2nd-Edition/dp/0672305100

Also, I've heard these Head First books are really good and easy to follow. I think they have a Head First C.

About your age, I found this book in a used bookstore:
The Absolute Beginners Guide to C . It really starts from a basic place, and is understandable. It helped a lot that I knew a couple of people (friends of my father) who could give me a little guidance when I got stuck, but there are so many internet resources out there now, you should be OK.

Seems like both C and C++ are really worth to learn!
Thanks all for the feedback. Although I would like to get some book and website recommendations, if possible? I already got http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Beginners-Guide-2nd-Edition/dp/0672305100

and C++ Primer, as zabzonk recommended in first reply.

Reddit. Although most of the posts here don't garner much attention, and sometimes things are posted which violate the Honor Code, so you have to be careful what you post/ask.

I'm not sure if this is the right book or not, but there's no shortage of C++ books out there. They do help, as I find this course is more "provide a couple small examples of a few things, and here is a very difficult question based on that info" than anything.

This book should bridge the gap and provide background info on code and practise stuff.

Also, codecademy.com is an amazing site to help you learn coding.

If you already know how to program, then K&R is great. If not, I would recommend (not starting with C) Absolute Beginners Guide to C.