There's a big difference between operating systems which provide a C compiler by default and those that don't. About 10 years ago, the distinction wasn't the type of operating system but the vendor. Windows and Irix didn't have a C compiler by default. Linux distros did have a C compiler. Other languages, such as Perl, PHP, Java, Python and Ruby, weren't available by default on most platforms or didn't exist. So, you got a C compiler, if you were lucky. You got Perl if you were very lucky.
Of course, you can install interpreters and compilers on operating systems but, because there is no default, the userbase is instantly split. For example, those using Sun's C compiler versus those using gcc. Hardware was also more diverse. So, you could have a programming problem which was specific to a subset of processor, hardware, operating system type, operating system version, language and choice of compiler.
Nowadays, there's a fairly consistent base of gcc installs with a fairly consistent base of Perl, PHP, Java, Python and Ruby built on top. So, someone else is much more likely to have already solved a problem that you have encountered.
Anyhow, a closed-source operating system is less likely to be supplied with programming languages and you'll be more likely to encounter further barriers as you proceed.
Of course, you can install interpreters and compilers on operating systems but, because there is no default, the userbase is instantly split. For example, those using Sun's C compiler versus those using gcc. Hardware was also more diverse. So, you could have a programming problem which was specific to a subset of processor, hardware, operating system type, operating system version, language and choice of compiler.
Nowadays, there's a fairly consistent base of gcc installs with a fairly consistent base of Perl, PHP, Java, Python and Ruby built on top. So, someone else is much more likely to have already solved a problem that you have encountered.
Anyhow, a closed-source operating system is less likely to be supplied with programming languages and you'll be more likely to encounter further barriers as you proceed.