It's daunting when you look at it from the outset (just like if you were a Linux developer being tasked with doing some Windows development). I would tackle this one problem at a time.
- First get your environment setup (compiler, IDE - yes they exist, Netbeans/Eclipse etc.)
- Next get the higher level apis installed (boost/Qt etc.)
- Start slowly, if there is an immediate problem to solve, get the code compiling (or start writing from scratch etc.) Like you would tackle any development project, get the stuff you know working first (i.e. things that don't need OS specific interaction), and then when you hit a snag - search, I'm sure someone out there has come across the same problem before and have resolved it..
Most importantly, leave all your subjective opinions at the door. And no, you don't need to be a guru to develop in Linux, I know enough to get around, and not everything - but I'm comfortable with that...