[Mabus]

If you choose to go with CoffeeMUD, I would recommend joining the . There you can meet other people using the codebase, and ask questions whose answers cannot be found in the various guides.

If using CoffeeMUD, or about any Java codebase, Cygwin should not be necessary.

If you are attempting to use a non-Java codebase, I would recommend over Cygwin (personal preference).
All the information you need to learn to program is likely available in the wonderful resources on the web. There are so, so many decent free tutorials and courses available that you can learn all the basics at home.

Mind, it is not going to be quick and easy. If you go this route do the "Hello World" tutorials, and walk through each section. Do not skip sections. Consider the tutorials as if you were going to college, and take notes, experiment and when confronted with a problem you cannot solve by research on your own, ask others.

I cannot speak for your local library system, but many public libraries also have books that can be useful in learning to program. Also look for beginner programming books in bargain bins, and ask any students you may know if their schools are getting rid of any texts.

Plan, plan, plan.

Then have someone you trust look over the plan for any problem, or missing, areas.

If you wish to follow the obsession of a text-based role-play game to completion it will take lots of reading, learning, time and other resources. This is inevitable.

Best of luck to you, and if I can help in my limited time I will be glad to do so.