I am a programmer on linux who knows java and c++ fairly well, and I would like to get started in game development (I would prefer to use c++ for game programming)

I have a few questions:

-What would I use to create simple 2d games? (e.g. opengl, sdl etc)

-Are there any tutorials you would recommend for me?

I have no previous with game programming, or with graphics programming, so beginner tutorials would be great

Would this be a good place to start? http://noz3001.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/2d-game-development-with-opengl-part-1/

I highly recommend using something like SFML(or SDL.)

Making a game with straight opengl or directx is a bit of a waste of time because you'll end up either using 10 libraries to accomplish the same thing one game dev library like SFML will accomplish or having to write all that boilerplate code yourself.

You shouldn't have to get a file loading library, audio, threading, writing straight opengl calls, math functions like vectors. None of that is really necessary to know indepth when you're starting out but you'll surely have to provide that code one way or another to make a game.

Also from what I could see browsing a few pages that tutorial is using immediate mode, which is a big no-no now.

ok, sdl or sfml it is

I think maybe I'll do some of the extra stuff for a learning excercise, but I'll start off with that

Thanks

Thanks for the help