Best programming language for Ubuntu?

[QuantumMonkey]

I really like making programs to extend my knowledge of computers and to help people, and I recently moved from Windows 7 to Ubuntu, and I was wondering what programming language I should start with for Ubuntu.

If it matters, I know quite a lot of C#, but I know that it's only for windows since it requires the .net framework

[worseisworser]

With regards to C# there's Mono: http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page

With regards to "best language for the Ubuntu or Linux platform"; this totally depends on what you want to do.

[nmaster]

I really like making programs to extend my knowledge of computers and to help people

to extend your knowledge, learn assembly: http://www.cafepress.com/bartlettpublish.8640017
full text: http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/pgubook/
there are other books available; i've never used this one and don't really have any specific recommendations

to write useful applications easily... there are a lot of options and it depends on what you want to do. lots of people are going to suggest python and its a fine choice. just remember that a programming language is a tool and you should always choose the right choose for the task at hand.

[cgroza]

I know python is used a lot in Ubuntu. If you look around, many applets, tools and apps are written in python. C and C++ are popular too.

[DangerOnTheRanger]

I'd go with Python, mainly because not only does it work pretty much everywhere (like C/C++), it:

• Does what you tell it to do
• Tells you what went wrong without a debugger (instead of just printing "Segmentation fault" and giving up the ghost)
• Almost looks like regular English
• Has the best design-to-production time of any language I've seen

[karlson]

I really like making programs to extend my knowledge of computers and to help people, and I recently moved from Windows 7 to Ubuntu, and I was wondering what programming language I should start with for Ubuntu.

If it matters, I know quite a lot of C#, but I know that it's only for windows since it requires the .net framework

You are going about it from the wrong end. You should be asking what is the best language for the problem you are trying to solve. Ubuntu has the ability to compile or interpret quite a bit of different programming languages.

So for some problems C++ might be the answer, C for others, C# for others, Fortran, Python, Ruby, Perl, Erlang, R, Haskell.....

[nvteighen]

Read the stickies, please.

[llanitedave]

Best programming language for Ubuntu?

All of them.

[Bachstelze]

Best programming language for Ubuntu?

All of them.

If the Tao is great, then the operating system is great. If the
operating system is great, then the compiler is great. If the compiler
is great, then the application is great. If the application is great, then
the user is pleased and there is harmony in the world.
The Tao gave birth to machine language. Machine language gave birth
to the assembler.
The assembler gave birth to the compiler. Now there are ten thousand
languages.
Each language has its purpose, however humble. Each language
expresses the Yin and Yang of software. Each language has its place within
the Tao.
But do not program in COBOL if you can avoid it.
-- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"

[fdrake]

I am not sayng is the most important language to use n ubuntu but is the one that you HAVE to know/learn if you want to use linux: BASH