A user is seeking a free and reliable FORTRAN compiler for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications, noting the difficulty in finding such compilers compared to C++. The recommended option is gfortran, identified as a standard free FORTRAN compiler, although the user encountered issues with the .bz file format during the download process. Another user suggests using 7-zip to extract the .bz2 file. Additionally, the discussion mentions Plato, a FORTRAN 95 compiler with updates, and Intel's paid FORTRAN compiler, which is noted for its quality but high cost. Simply Fortran is also highlighted as a user-friendly option for Windows, available for $25, which some consider reasonable given its features. g95 is recommended as a free alternative that is easy to install and creates standalone executable files without requiring additional libraries.