Flutter is a powerful framework developed by Google that allows developers to build high-quality, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. If you’re new to Flutter and want to set it up on your macOS system, this beginner-friendly guide will walk you through the process step by step.
Table of Contents
What You Need Before You Start
Installing Homebrew
Installing Flutter
Running Flutter Doctor
Installing Additional Tools
Setting Up the Android Environment
Running Flutter Doctor Again
Conclusion
What You Need Before You Start
Before starting the installation process, make sure you have the following:
A macOS computer running macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later.
An internet connection.
Basic knowledge of the command line (no need to worry; we’ll keep it simple!).
Step 1: Installing Homebrew
Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that simplifies the installation of software.
Open the Terminal application on your Mac (found in Applications > Utilities or via Spotlight search).
Paste the following command into Terminal and press Enter:
/bin/bash -c “$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)”
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You might be asked to enter your password.
To verify the installation, type:
brew –version
If it returns a version number, Homebrew is installed correctly.
Step 2: Installing Flutter
Now, let’s install Flutter using Homebrew.
In the Terminal, type the following command and press Enter:
brew install –cask flutter
This command will download and install Flutter on your Mac. The process might take a few minutes.
Once the installation is complete, you can verify it by running:
flutter –version
This should display the Flutter version number along with other relevant information.
Step 3: Running Flutter Doctor
After installing Flutter, it’s important to run the flutter doctor command, which will check your environment and report any missing dependencies.
Run the following command in Terminal:
flutter doctor
The flutter doctor command will analyze your system and provide instructions on how to resolve any issues.
This tool is incredibly helpful in guiding you through the setup process by pointing out what needs to be fixed.
Step 4: Installing Additional Tools
Based on the instructions provided by flutter doctor, you may need to install additional tools. Here are the commands I ran to ensure everything was set up correctly:
Install Rosetta (required for Apple Silicon Macs):
sudo softwareupdate –install-rosetta –agree-to-license
Install Android Studio (necessary for Android development):
brew install –cask android-studio
Set Xcode’s command-line tools location:
sudo xcode-select –switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
Complete initial Xcode setup:
sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch
Install CocoaPods (used for managing iOS dependencies):
brew install cocoapods
Download iOS platform tools:
xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS
Step 5: Setting Up the Android Environment
To set up the Android environment, you need to configure the Android SDK and accept the licenses:
Install the latest command-line tools for Android:
sdkmanager –install “cmdline-tools;latest”
Accept Android licenses:
flutter doctor –android-licenses
Set the Android SDK location (if not automatically detected):
flutter config –android-sdk /path/to/your/android-sdk
Step 6: Running Flutter Doctor Again
Now that all the tools and dependencies are installed, run flutter doctor again to ensure everything is set up correctly:
In the Terminal, type:
flutter doctor
If everything is configured properly, you should see checkmarks next to each item, indicating that your environment is ready for Flutter development.
Conclusion
You’ve successfully installed Flutter on your macOS, set up the necessary tools, and configured your development environment. By following this guide, you’re now ready to start building beautiful applications with Flutter.
Remember, the flutter doctor command is a great resource whenever you encounter setup issues, as it provides clear guidance on what needs to be fixed. Happy coding!
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