First of all, these GUI installers for the GNU AVR toolchain are really excellent: Two flavors for Mac and Windows:
CrossPack (Mac)
WinAVR (Windows)
On Linux and Unix-like operating systems (Macs included) you can follow the directions given by bdmicro (330 kB PDF) for installing the components one at a time. There are also some package managers that handle the whole toolchain, but I haven't tried any of them yet. (Does anyone have a recommendation for a complete toolchain package for linux systems?)
Almost certainly the best place to get started is at Ladyada's AVR tutorial. It is extensive and up to date, and it will probably be kept up to date better than most of the other resources that we mention here.
A couple of other sets of instructions and reference guides:
Some notes on hardware:
A few interesting examples of AVR source code:
- TV-B-Gone, the open-source version.
- Gobs of other good examples at Ladyada.net
- Procyon AVRlib by Pascal Stang. Open-source C libraries to do all kinds of things-- some quite advanced.
Our own articles about and using AVR microcontrollers:
- An AVR-based Analog Plotbot with an E-Paper Display
- Quick and Dirty D to A on the AVR: A timer tutorial
- Fixing a bad frequency fuse bit on an AVR
- Resources for choosing a microcontroller
- Programming the Atmel ATtiny2313 in Mac OS X (only partly Mac specific-- but mostly out of date. Some hints about programmers, programming, and target boards.)
- How to make high-tech LED decorations for the holidays
- LED Micro-Readerboard, version 2.0
- LED Micro-Readerboard, version 2.0: FAQ File (with hints about programming)
- Instructables: Micro-Readerboard Build
- Using AVR microcontrollers: Minimalist target boards
- The Adafruit Industries USBtinyISP kit
- Using an ADXL330 accelerometer with an AVR microcontroller
- AlphaPOV: An alphanumeric persistence of vision display
- MiniPOV Cylon firmware
- Make a Robotic Snap-O-Lantern!
- Peggy, A Light Emitting Pegboard Display
- Solid freeform fabrication: DIY, on the cheap, and made of pure sugar
- Meggy Jr RGB
- POV Lissajous figures
- Resurrecting Tennis for Two
- Business card breakout boards for ATmega48/88/168/328
- Scariest Jack-o'-Lantern of 2008
- Simple Solar Circuits
- The Mignonette
- Peggy 2.0
- Single Sided Circuit Board with an ATtiny2313
- Business card breakout boards for ATtiny2313
- Basics: Serial communication with AVR microcontrollers
- Giant 7-segment displays
- Deluxe LED Menorah
- The Larson Scanner
- The Rovin Pumpkin
- The Bulbdial Clock
- Using an ADXL335 accelerometer with an AVR microcontroller
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