I'm new to Linux-been messing around a bit and just finished an Intro to Unix class. Now I'm hooked. I'm interested in programming and am pretty new to that as well. I'm interested in developing for Linux/Mac OS-anything but Misrosoft. My question-I can take C++ at the school I am attending right now, but I know that is not quite "on target" as far as kernel development, etc... since the Linux kernel is in C-how different is C++ from C? Can I take a C++ class and figure C out from what I learn in C++, or are they not that similar?

Knowing C would usually be a pre-requisite for a c++ course. If it isn't then that probably means they teach you C syntax before moving on to the more advanced parts of c++.

C++ is an object-oriented extension of C. Every programmer needs to know C++. Get "A Book on C", it describes the language quite comprehensively. Having learned C++ in class, you should be able to learn C from a book.

the concepts for using the two are really quite different but c is a subset of c++.
no problem learning c++ first. Might actually be better to start off with the higher level concepts.
higher level structures in c++ like you say are inapropriate for very low level work but all that will become clear later.

Thanks! I took the Intro to Programming class, which was VB.NET, and we briefly covered C and C++ in the UNIX class, so I'm familiar with the basics. I just don't want to waste time taking classes that won't be usable as far as open source development/programming. I'll pick up a good book on C and use that in conjunction with the C++ class, I think. The only other alternative is to take VB.NET, or Java (which is cool as well, but I'll need to take a few more pre-reqs for that). Obviously also interested in Pearl, and having fun with sed and awk. Not sure if this would be more appropriate in the programming thread, but I didn't notice it until after I posted here.
Thanks again!

I would recommend THE BIBLE.

Thinking in C++ by Bruce Eckel

available for free at bruceeckel.com

Awesome, Thanks!!