Installing Flutter On Your Windows Mac And Linux System

Get started by installing Flutter on your Windows Mac and Linux system

Flutter, Google’s powerful UI toolkit, allows developers to build natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. If you’re excited to start building your own Flutter apps, the first step is to install Flutter on your machine. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the installation process on macOS, Windows, and Linux so you can get up and running with Flutter in no time.

1. System Requirements for Installing Flutter

Before we dive into the installation process, ensure that your machine meets the following minimum requirements for running Flutter:

For macOS:

• Operating System: macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or newer
• Disk Space: 2.8 GB (excluding space for IDE/tools)
• Tools: Xcode 12 or newer, Homebrew, Git

For Windows:

• Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) or newer
• Disk Space: 1.64 GB (excluding space for IDE/tools)
• Tools: Git for Windows, PowerShell 5.0 or newer, Windows Subsystem for Linux (optional)

For Linux:

• Operating System: Any modern 64-bit Linux distribution
• Disk Space: 600 MB (excluding IDE/tools)
• Tools: Git, bash, curl, and other basic Unix utilities

Now that you have the requirements in place, let’s move on to the actual installation process for each platform.

2. Installing Flutter on macOS

Step 1: Download the Flutter SDK

• Visit the official Flutter website.
• Download the latest Flutter SDK for macOS (stable channel).
• Extract the downloaded file (flutter_macos_*.zip) to a desired location, such as ~/development.

Step 2: Update Your PATH

You need to update your PATH so that Flutter’s binaries are accessible from anywhere in the terminal.

1. Open a terminal window and locate your .bashrc, .bash_profile, or .zshrc file depending on the shell you are using.
2. Add the following line to the file: export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"
3. Save the file and run the following command to apply the changes: source ~/.bashrc (Use .zshrc for zsh users, or .bash_profile if you are on an older macOS version).

Step 3: Install Xcode

Flutter requires Xcode to build iOS apps.

1. Open the App Store on your Mac and search for “Xcode.”
2. Download and install Xcode.
3. After installation, open Xcode and accept the license agreement.
4. From the terminal, run: sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch

Step 4: Install Homebrew and Additional Tools

Flutter uses Homebrew to install some dependencies. Install it by running:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Then, install CocoaPods (used to manage iOS project dependencies) with:

brew install cocoapods

Step 5: Run Flutter Doctor

To ensure that all necessary tools are installed correctly, run:

flutter doctor

This command checks your system for the necessary tools and highlights any issues.

3. Installing Flutter on Windows

Step 1: Download the Flutter SDK

• Visit the official Flutter website and download the Windows Flutter SDK (stable channel).
• Extract the ZIP file to a desired location, such as C:\src\flutter (avoid installing Flutter in a directory that requires elevated privileges, like C:\Program Files).

Step 2: Update Your PATH

Add Flutter to your system’s environment variables:

1. Search for “Environment Variables” in the Windows search bar.
2. Under “System Properties,” click on “Environment Variables.”
3. In the “User variables” section, find and select the Path variable, then click “Edit.”
4. Click “New” and add the path to Flutter’s bin folder (e.g., C:\src\flutter\bin).
5. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Step 3: Install Git for Windows

Git is required to clone repositories and interact with version control systems. Install Git from the official site:
https://git-scm.com/download/win

Step 4: Install Android Studio

To build Android apps, you’ll need Android Studio:

1. Download and install Android Studio from here.
2. Launch Android Studio and go to File > Settings > Plugins and install the Flutter and Dart plugins.
3. Once installed, configure Android SDK, Android Virtual Devices (AVDs), and additional tools from the SDK Manager in Android Studio.

Step 5: Run Flutter Doctor

Now run the flutter doctor command from PowerShell or the Command Prompt to ensure all the tools are correctly installed:

flutter doctor

Follow any instructions to resolve issues if needed.

4. Installing Flutter on Linux

Step 1: Download the Flutter SDK

• Visit the official Flutter website and download the latest Linux Flutter SDK (stable channel).
• Extract the downloaded file:tar xf flutter_linux_*.tar.xz Move the extracted folder to a preferred location, such as ~/development/flutter.

Step 2: Update Your PATH

To add Flutter to your PATH:

1. Open your terminal and edit the .bashrc, .bash_profile, or .zshrc file using your preferred text editor.
2. Add the following line to the file: export PATH="$PATH:/path-to-flutter-directory/flutter/bin"
3. Replace /path-to-flutter-directory/ with the location where you extracted Flutter. Save the file and apply the changes: source ~/.bashrc

Step 3: Install Required Dependencies

For Flutter to run, ensure you have the following dependencies:

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

Step 4: Install Android Studio

You need Android Studio to build Android apps on Linux:

1. Download Android Studio from the official website.
2. Extract the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions.
3. Launch Android Studio and install the Flutter and Dart plugins from the File > Settings > Plugins menu.
4. Configure the Android SDK and AVD (Android Virtual Devices) from the SDK Manager in Android Studio.

Step 5: Run Flutter Doctor

Run the flutter doctor command to verify your setup and install any missing dependencies:

flutter doctor

5. Common Post-Installation Steps (macOS, Windows, Linux)

Step 1: Install Flutter and Dart Plugins in Your IDE

Flutter works with popular IDEs like Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, and IntelliJ IDEA. After installing Flutter, you’ll want to install the necessary plugins in your preferred IDE.

For Android Studio:

• Go to File > Settings > Plugins.
• Search for Flutter and install it.
• The Dart plugin will automatically be installed when you install the Flutter plugin.

For Visual Studio Code:

• Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
• Search for Flutter and install the plugin, which will also install the Dart plugin.

Step 2: Configure Android SDK and Virtual Devices

For Android development, you’ll need to configure the Android SDK and create virtual devices (emulators):

1. Open Android Studio.
2. Go to Tools > AVD Manager and create a new virtual device.
3. Download and install any necessary SDK packages.

Step 3: Testing Your Flutter Installation

Create and run a sample Flutter project to ensure everything is working properly:

1. Open a terminal or command prompt.
2. Run the following commands: flutter create my_first_app cd my_first_app flutter run

This will create a new Flutter project and launch it on your connected device or emulator.

Conclusion

Installing Flutter on macOS, Windows, or Linux is a relatively straightforward process, especially when following the step-by-step instructions outlined in this guide. Whether you’re developing for mobile, web, or desktop, Flutter provides the tools and flexibility you need to build beautiful and performant apps from a single codebase.

With Flutter now installed, you’re ready to start building your first cross-platform app! Don’t forget to use the flutter doctor command regularly to ensure that your environment is properly set up.

Explore Other Flutter Topics…

1. Introduction to Flutter and Dart
2. Why choose Flutter
3. Installing Flutter On Your Windows Mac And Linux System
4. Your first Flutter app
5. Flutter project structure
6. Building blocks of Flutter
7. Stateful vs. Stateless Widgets Explained
8. Flutter layout system
9. Flutter text widget
10. Creating Buttons in Flutter: ElevatedButton, TextButton, and IconButton
11. Handling User Input with Flutter Forms
12. Container class in Flutter
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14. Flutter – Pass Data One Screen To Another Screen
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