How to Install Flutter on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Flutter is Google's UI toolkit for building beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. This tutorial will guide you through the installation process of Flutter on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

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Flutter: A Quick Introduction

Flutter has revolutionized cross-platform app development by offering a single codebase approach with near-native performance. Before you can start building amazing apps with Flutter, you need to set up your development environment. This guide will walk you through the installation process step-by-step for each major operating system.

To get the most out of Flutter, you'll need to install:

The Flutter SDK
An IDE (like Visual Studio Code or Android Studio)
Platform-specific tools (depending on your target platforms)

Let's dive into the installation process for each operating system.

Installing Flutter on Windows

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
Disk Space: At least 1.64 GB (not including disk space for IDE/tools)
Tools: Windows PowerShell 5.0 or newer and Git for Windows

Step 1: Download Flutter SDK

Visit the official Flutter website at flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/windows
Click on the "flutter_windows_[version]-stable.zip" link to download the latest stable release
Extract the zip file to a desired location (e.g., C:\src\flutter). Note: Avoid installing Flutter in directories like C:\Program Files\ that require elevated privileges

Step 2: Update your path

In the Windows search bar, type "env" and select "Edit the system environment variables"
Click on "Environment Variables"
Under "User variables", find the "Path" variable, select it and click "Edit"
Click "New" and add the path to your Flutter bin directory (e.g., C:\src\flutter\bin)
Click "OK" to save changes

Step 3: Run Flutter Doctor

Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window
Verify Flutter is in your path by running:

where flutter dart

Run Flutter Doctor to identify any dependencies you need to install:

flutter doctor

Step 4: Install Android Studio (for Android development)

Download and install Android Studio from developer.android.com/studio
Launch Android Studio and go through the "Android Studio Setup Wizard"
Install the latest Android SDK, Android SDK Command-line Tools, and Android SDK Build-Tools
Accept the Android licenses by running:

flutter doctor --android-licenses

Step 5: Set up an editor

Install Visual Studio Code or Android Studio
Install the Flutter and Dart plugins for your chosen editor

For VS Code: Open VS Code, go to Extensions, and search for "Flutter"
For Android Studio: Go to Preferences > Plugins, search for "Flutter" and install it

Installing Flutter on macOS

System Requirements

Operating System: macOS (64-bit)
Disk Space: At least 2.8 GB (not including disk space for IDE/tools)
Tools: bash, curl, git 2.x, mkdir, rm, unzip, which

Step 1: Download Flutter SDK

Visit flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/macos
Download the latest stable release of the Flutter SDK
Extract the file in your desired location (e.g., ~/development):

cd ~/development
unzip ~/Downloads/flutter_macos_[version]-stable.zip

Step 2: Update your path

Determine which shell you're using (zsh for newer macOS, bash for older versions):

echo $SHELL

For zsh, edit ~/.zshrc. For bash, edit ~/.bash_profile:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add Flutter to your PATH:

export PATH="$PATH:~/development/flutter/bin"

Save the file and run:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 3: Run Flutter Doctor

flutter doctor

Step 4: Install Xcode (for iOS development)

Install Xcode from the Mac App Store
Configure the Xcode command-line tools:

sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch

Accept the Xcode license:

sudo xcodebuild -license

Set up the iOS simulator:

open -a Simulator

Step 5: Install Android Studio (for Android development)

Download and install Android Studio from developer.android.com/studio
Launch Android Studio and follow the setup wizard
Install the Android SDK, tools, and build tools
Accept Android licenses:

flutter doctor --android-licenses

Step 6: Set up an editor

Install Visual Studio Code or use Android Studio
Install the Flutter and Dart plugins for your chosen editor

Installing Flutter on Linux

System Requirements

Operating system: Linux (64-bit) such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, or CentOS
Disk space: At least 600 MB (not including disk space for IDE/tools)
Tools: bash, curl, file, git 2.x, mkdir, rm, unzip, which, xz-utils, zip

Step 1: Install dependencies

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl git unzip xz-utils zip libglu1-mesa

Step 2: Download Flutter SDK

Visit flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/linux
Download the latest stable release
Extract it to your preferred location:

cd ~/development
tar xf ~/Downloads/flutter_linux_[version]-stable.tar.xz

Step 3: Update your path

Determine your shell:

echo $SHELL

Edit your profile file (.bashrc for bash or .zshrc for zsh):

nano ~/.bashrc

Add Flutter to your PATH:

export PATH="$PATH:~/development/flutter/bin"

Save and reload the settings:

source ~/.bashrc

Step 4: Run Flutter Doctor

flutter doctor

Step 5: Install Android Studio

Download Android Studio from developer.android.com/studio
Extract the archive file and run the installation script:

cd android-studio/bin
./studio.sh

Follow the setup wizard to install Android SDK, tools, and build tools
Accept Android licenses:

flutter doctor --android-licenses

Step 6: Set up an editor

Install Visual Studio Code or use Android Studio
Install the Flutter and Dart plugins

Verifying Your Installation

Regardless of operating system, after installation, verify that everything is set up correctly:

Open a terminal or command prompt
Run the Flutter Doctor command to check for any issues:

flutter doctor -v

Address any issues reported by Flutter Doctor
Create a new Flutter project:

flutter create my_first_app

Navigate to the project directory and run the app:

cd my_first_app
flutter run

If you see the default Flutter app running on your simulator or connected device, congratulations! You have successfully installed Flutter and are ready to start building cross-platform applications.

Conclusion

You've now successfully installed Flutter on your preferred operating system and are ready to start building beautiful cross-platform applications. Flutter's hot reload feature allows you to see changes in real-time, making development faster and more enjoyable.

Remember to keep your Flutter SDK updated by running flutter upgrade periodically, and explore the rich ecosystem of Flutter packages available.

Whether you're building mobile, web, or desktop applications, Flutter provides the tools and flexibility to bring your ideas to life with a single codebase. Happy coding!

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