I am using Arduino 1.0.1 in windows 7 (64) but I think I am a long way from attempting to get to grips with a different OS or compiler variant.
It has been suggested that I might be better with Eclips with the Arduino plugin but I am concerned about stepping too far outside the norm until I have a more than a rudimentary understanding of what I am trying to work with.
I have managed, with a great deal of help from board members, to build a my first simple library but I have a long way to go.