How to Install Flutter in VS Code (Windows, macOS, and Linux)

How to Install Flutter in VS Code (Windows, macOS, and Linux)

Flutter is a powerful framework for building cross-platform mobile, web, and desktop applications. This guide will walk you through the installation of Flutter in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Step 1: Install Flutter SDK

Windows

1. Download Flutter

• Go to the official Flutter website: Flutter SDK

• Download the latest Windows version (flutter_windows.zip).

2. Extract and Set Up Flutter

• Extract the ZIP file to C:\flutter (or any location of your choice).

• Add Flutter to the system Path:

  1. Open Start Menu and search for Environment Variables.

  2. Select Edit the system environment variables.

  3. Under System Variables, select Path and click Edit.

  4. Click New, and add:

     C:\flutter\bin
     

  5. Click OK and restart your computer.

3. Verify Installation

Open the Command Prompt (cmd) and run:

flutter --version

macOS

1. Download and Install Flutter

• Visit Flutter SDK

• Download the macOS Flutter SDK (flutter_macos.zip).

• Open Terminal and run:

  cd ~/Downloads
  unzip flutter_macos_*.zip
  

• Move Flutter to /usr/local:

  sudo mv flutter /usr/local/
  

2. Add Flutter to Path

nano ~/.zshrc

Add the following line:

export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/flutter/bin"

Save and apply changes:

source ~/.zshrc

3. Verify Installation

flutter --version

Linux

1. Download Flutter

• Go to Flutter SDK

• Download flutter_linux.tar.xz.

2. Extract and Set Up Flutter

cd ~/Downloads
sudo tar -xf flutter_linux.tar.xz -C /usr/local

3. Add Flutter to Path

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/flutter/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

4. Verify Installation

flutter --version

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Windows

• Install Git: Download Git

• Install Android Studio: Download

• Install Android SDK and accept licenses:

  flutter doctor --android-licenses
  

macOS

• Install Xcode:

  xcode-select --install
  sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch
  

• Install CocoaPods:

  sudo gem install cocoapods
  

• Install Android Studio and SDK as above.

Linux

• Install dependencies:

  sudo apt-get install clang cmake ninja-build pkg-config libgtk-3-dev
  

• Install Android Studio and SDK as in Windows.

Step 3: Install VS Code and Flutter Extensions

1. Install VS Code

• Download and install VS Code.

2. Install Flutter and Dart Extensions

• Open VS Code.

• Go to Extensions (Ctrl + Shift + X or Cmd + Shift + X on Mac).

• Search for Flutter and install it (this will also install Dart).

Step 4: Verify Installation

Run:

flutter doctor

If everything is set up correctly, you should see ✓ for all components.

Step 5: Create and Run a Flutter Project

flutter create my_app
cd my_app
code .

• Open the project in VS Code.

• Press F5 to run the app.

You’re All Set! 

Now you can start developing Flutter apps in VS Code. Let us know if you need any help!