The GNU|Linux platform and freedom respecting software for economists

The GNU|Linux operating system is rapidly gaining ground as an attractive alternative to the proprietary platforms particularly in academic institutions and government agencies. Here, we supply an assessment of this resource from the perspective of econometricians, discuss its benefits and disadvantages along with a basic overview of some of the popular free|libre and open source programs hosted by this platform for conducting research in economics. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.