Best first programming language

[Gerald Thurman]

Learn to use a Unix system at the command-line along with a text editor and
start writing BASH program.  The command-line provides exposure to the Unix
philosophy, files/directories, options/arguments, variables (environment),
I/O, meta-characters and documentation (via manpages).  First programs are
written in BASH.  BASH supports structured programming (sequence, if, while,
functions) and an introduction to data structures/algorithms via arrays.
After BASH I'd move onto C (using Ritchie and Kernighan for the text) with
extensive coverage of the STDC Library.  From this point there are numerous
forks in the road.

The "hello, world" program writtin in BASH.

$ echo hello, world <ENTER>
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