Flutter Installation & Setup

⚙️ Setting Up Flutter

Installing Flutter is straightforward. Download the Flutter SDK, extract it, add to PATH, and run flutter doctor to verify installation. You'll be ready to build apps in minutes!


# Check Flutter installation
flutter doctor

# Create a new Flutter project
flutter create my_app

# Run your app
flutter run

Installation Steps

💻

Windows

Download Flutter SDK for Windows

Download ZIP Extract Add to PATH

🍎

macOS

Install Flutter on Mac

Download ZIP Extract Update PATH

🐧

Linux

Setup Flutter on Linux

Download Extract Configure PATH

✅

Verify

Check your installation

flutter doctor

🔹 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS, or Linux
Disk Space: 2.8 GB (does not include IDE/tools)
Tools: Git for Windows, PowerShell 5.0 or newer
RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)

🔹 Windows Installation

Step-by-step guide for Windows users:

Step 1: Download Flutter SDK


1. Visit https://flutter.dev
2. Click "Get Started"
3. Download Flutter SDK for Windows
4. Extract the zip file to C:\src\flutter

Step 2: Update PATH Variable


1. Search "Environment Variables" in Windows
2. Click "Environment Variables"
3. Under "User variables", find "Path"
4. Add: C:\src\flutter\bin
5. Click OK

Step 3: Run Flutter Doctor


# Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
flutter doctor

# This checks for:
# ✓ Flutter SDK
# ✓ Android toolchain
# ✓ Chrome (for web development)
# ✓ Visual Studio (for Windows apps)
# ✓ Android Studio / VS Code

🔹 macOS Installation

Installing Flutter on Mac:

Using Terminal:


# Download Flutter SDK
cd ~/development
unzip ~/Downloads/flutter_macos_*.zip

# Add to PATH (add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile)
export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"

# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.zshrc

# Verify installation
flutter doctor

# Install Xcode for iOS development
# Download from Mac App Store

🔹 Linux Installation

Setup Flutter on Linux:


# Download and extract Flutter
cd ~/development
tar xf ~/Downloads/flutter_linux_*.tar.xz

# Add Flutter to PATH
export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"

# Add to ~/.bashrc permanently
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:~/development/flutter/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc

# Reload configuration
source ~/.bashrc

# Run Flutter doctor
flutter doctor

🔹 Installing an IDE

Choose an editor for Flutter development:

🔸 Android Studio (Recommended for Beginners)

Download Android Studio from developer.android.com
Install Android Studio
Open Android Studio → Plugins
Search for "Flutter" and install
Restart Android Studio

🔸 Visual Studio Code


1. Download VS Code from code.visualstudio.com
2. Install VS Code
3. Open Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
4. Search "Flutter" and install
5. Search "Dart" and install
6. Restart VS Code

🔹 Setting Up Android Emulator

Create a virtual device for testing:


# Open Android Studio
# Tools → AVD Manager → Create Virtual Device

# Or use command line:
flutter emulators

# Launch an emulator
flutter emulators --launch <emulator_id>

# Check connected devices
flutter devices

🔹 Verify Installation

Make sure everything is working:


# Check Flutter version
flutter --version

# Run comprehensive check
flutter doctor -v

# Check for updates
flutter upgrade

# Create a test project
flutter create test_app
cd test_app
flutter run

Expected Output:

Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.x.x)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices
[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
[✓] Android Studio (version 2023.x)
[✓] VS Code (version 1.x.x)
[✓] Connected device (2 available)

• No issues found!