Use ssh to connect to Spruce
On windows you can use PuTTY
To get X Window on Windows use for example MobaXTerm
Learning the basic commands allow you to create files and directories and move around the filesystem
Use man to search for arguments of command line tools
The choice of an editor is very personal, it is your compromise between features and learning curve
You can preload modules for each login by adding the load line on your .bashrc
It is a good idea to keep aliases to common torque commands for easy execution.
On windows, there is no simple replacement for rsync. You can use the file trasfer application that comes with PuTTY
FIXME