Installation

IDE choice

My recommended IDE for Dart is modifying the text editor VSCode with Dart and Flutter extensions:

dart-code.dart-code
dart-code.flutter
alexisvt.flutter-snippets

Standalone Dart SDK

If you do not need Flutter (server-side Dart, CLI tools, scripts), install only the Dart SDK.

macOS

brew tap dart-lang/dart
brew install dart

Or download the archive directly from https://dart.dev/get-dart

curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/dart-archive/channels/stable/release/latest/sdk/dartsdk-macos-x64-release.zip
unzip dartsdk-macos-x64-release.zip -d ~/development
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/development/dart-sdk/bin"

For Apple Silicon:

curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/dart-archive/channels/stable/release/latest/sdk/dartsdk-macos-arm64-release.zip

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apt-transport-https
sudo sh -c "curl -fsSL https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/dart.gpg'
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/dart.gpg] https://storage.googleapis.com/download.dartlang.org/linux/debian stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dart_stable.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install dart

Windows

Download the installer from https://dart.dev/get-dart. Run the .exe — it adds dart to your PATH automatically. Verify with:

dart --version

Flutter SDK (Includes Dart)

If you are building Flutter applications, install the Flutter SDK instead. It bundles the Dart SDK — You do not need a separate Dart installation.

macOS / Linux

git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git -b stable ~/development/flutter
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/development/flutter/bin"
flutter doctor

The flutter doctor command checks your environment and reports missing dependencies.

Windows

git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git -b stable C:\development\flutter
setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\development\flutter\bin"
flutter doctor

`/usr/local`). The Flutter CLI needs write access to its own directory for SDK updates.

Version Management

Using `fvm` (Flutter Version Management)

In production or multi-project environments, you need to pin Flutter/Dart versions per project:

## Install fvm
dart pub global activate fvm

## Install a specific Flutter version
fvm install 3.24.0
fvm use 3.24.0

# Run flutter commands through fvm
fvm flutter run
fvm flutter build apk --release

fvm use creates an .fvmrc file in the project root. Team members run fvm use to switch to the Correct version.

Using `dart` version directly

The Dart SDK is versioned independently. Check your version:

dart --version
# Dart SDK version: 3.5.0 (stable) on "linux_x64"

To change the Dart SDK channel (stable, beta, dev):

flutter channel stable
flutter upgrade

Verifying Installation

After installation, verify everything:

# Dart SDK
dart --version
dart compile exe -o hello hello.dart   # test AOT compilation

# Flutter SDK
flutter --version
flutter doctor -v                      # verbose environment check

# Dart package manager
dart pub --version

flutter doctor -v output should look something like:

[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.24.0)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 34.0.0)
[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
[✗] Linux toolchain - develop for Linux desktop
    ! clang++ is not installed

Every [✓] means that toolchain is ready. [✗] items need attention — follow the diagnostic Output.

IDE Setup

VS Code (Recommended)

Install VS Code, then add these extensions:

Extension	ID	Purpose
Dart	`dart-code.dart-code`	Syntax, analysis, debugging, pub support
Flutter	`dart-code.flutter`	Widget editing, DevTools, emulator control
Flutter Snippets	`alexisvt.flutter-snippets`	Boilerplate code generation

After installing, open a Dart/Flutter project folder. VS Code will prompt you to select the Flutter SDK location if it is not already in PATH.

Key VS Code shortcuts for Dart:

Action	Shortcut
Run (debug)	`F5`
Hot reload	`Ctrl+F5` / `Cmd+F5` (while debugging)
Go to definition	`F12`
Rename symbol	`F2`
Quick fix	`Ctrl+.` / `Cmd+.`
Format document	`Shift+Alt+F` / `Shift+Option+F`

Android Studio

Android Studio includes the Dart and Flutter plugins by default when you install the Flutter SDK Through its installer:

Download Android Studio from https://developer.android.com/studio
Install the Flutter and Dart plugins: Settings > Plugins > Marketplace > “Flutter”
Configure the SDK path: Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Flutter > Flutter SDK path

Android Studio provides:

Visual layout editor (not as useful for Flutter as for XML layouts)
Android Emulator (AVD Manager)
Profiler and APK analyzer

IntelliJ IDEA

Install the Dart plugin from JetBrains Marketplace. It provides the same analysis engine as Android Studio without the Android-specific tooling.

Installation Guide (VS Code Workflow)

Ensure VS Code, the extensions, and git is installed and updated.
Launch VS Code and open command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
With the dart-code.flutter installed, typing flutter in command palette shows a command of Flutter: New Project.
VS Code will now prompt you to locate your Flutter SDK, select Download SDK which automatically installs the Flutter SDK and adds to PATH, Remember to choose a location that doesnt require elevated priviledges.
Now type flutter doctor in the terminal and resolve any missing SDK or packages
I would recommend installing android sdk from android studio
I would also recommend installing Visual Studio if windows development is needed.
If the developement platform is Windows, the path may not have added correctly, include the android sdk, dart sdk and flutter sdk in path.

Creating Your First Project

Pure Dart (CLI application)

dart create -t console my_cli
cd my_cli
dart run

This creates a minimal console application with a pubspec.yaml``bin/And test/ directory.

Flutter application

flutter create my_app
cd my_app
flutter run

This creates a full Flutter project with platform-specific directories (android/``ios/``web/ macos/``linux/``windows/).

Project structure after `dart create -t console`:

my_cli/
├── analysis_options.yaml
├── bin/
│   └── my_cli.dart        # entry point
├── lib/
│   └── ...                # library code
├── pubspec.yaml           # dependencies and metadata
├── pubspec.lock           # pinned dependency versions
└── test/
    └── my_cli_test.dart   # tests

Intuition

Getting started: Setting up Dart is like preparing a workshop — installing the SDK, configuring your editor, and creating your first project.

Why it matters: A proper setup ensures a smooth development experience. Good tooling makes coding faster and more enjoyable.

The key insight: Dart’s hot reload lets you see changes instantly — this dramatically speeds up the development cycle.

Common Pitfalls

PATH issues on Windows: The Flutter SDK modifies PATH during installation but many terminals (especially PowerShell) need a restart to pick up changes. Run refreshenv or restart the terminal.
Multiple SDK versions: If you install both standalone Dart SDK and Flutter SDK, the dart binary on PATH may point to the wrong one. Use which dart / where dart to verify. Uninstall the standalone Dart SDK if you are using Flutter.
Xcode license on macOS: Even for pure Dart development, flutter doctor may complain about Xcode. Run sudo xcodebuild -license accept to resolve this.
Android SDK cmdline-tools: flutter doctor expects cmdline-tools/latest/bin in the Android SDK path. Install it via Android Studio’s SDK Manager under “SDK Tools”.

Android SDK Setup

If you are targeting Android devices, you need the Android SDK. The recommended path is through Android Studio.

Installing Android Studio

Download from https://developer.android.com/studio
Run the installer (it bundles Android SDK, SDK Platform-Tools, and Android Emulator)
Launch Android Studio and complete the setup wizard. It downloads the latest SDK and system images

Configuring environment variables

Add these to your shell profile (~/.bashrc``~/.zshrcEtc.):

export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Android/Sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin

Accepting licenses

flutter doctor --android-licenses

Accept all licenses. This is required before you can build APKs.

Android SDK Manager

Within Android Studio: Settings > Appearance & Behavior > System Settings > Android SDK

Required components:

Component	Purpose
Android SDK Platform 34 (or latest)	Target API level
Android SDK Build-Tools	aapt``d8``dx build tools
Android SDK Platform-Tools	adb``fastboot
Android SDK Command-line Tools	`sdkmanager` CLI
Android Emulator	`emulator` binary
Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM) or KVM	Hardware acceleration for emulator

Verifying Android setup

adb devices          # list connected devices/emulators
emulator -list-avds  # list available virtual devices
flutter devices      # list all Flutter-visible devices

iOS/macOS Setup

macOS requirements (for iOS development)

Install Xcode from the Mac App Store
Accept the license: sudo xcodebuild -license accept
Install command line tools: xcode-select --install
Install CocoaPods: sudo gem install cocoapods (or brew install cocoapods)

sudo xcodebuild -license accept
xcode-select --install

Verifying macOS/iOS setup

xcrun --sdk iphoneos --show-sdk-path   # should print the SDK path
flutter devices                          # should show "macOS" and "iPhone" simulator

Windows Desktop Setup

For Windows desktop development (UWP/Win32 Flutter apps):

Install Visual Studio 2022 with the following workloads:

Desktop development with C++
Universal Windows Platform development (optional, for UWP)

Ensure the Windows 10/11 SDK is installed

flutter doctor
# Look for: [✓] Visual Studio - develop Windows apps

Linux Desktop Setup

For Linux desktop development:

sudo apt install clang cmake ninja-build pkg-config libgtk-3-dev liblzma-dev libstdc++-12-dev

On Fedora:

sudo dnf install clang cmake ninja-build gtk3-devel libXtst-devel pkgconfig

Verify:

flutter devices    # should show "Linux (desktop)"

Web Setup

No additional installation is required for web development. Flutter includes the dart2js and dart2wasm compilers.

flutter devices    # should show "Chrome" and "Edge" if browsers are installed
flutter run -d chrome

Uninstalling

Flutter SDK

Delete the Flutter directory and remove it from PATH:

rm -rf ~/development/flutter
# Remove the PATH export from your shell profile

Dart SDK

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew uninstall dart

# Linux (apt)
sudo apt remove dart

# Windows: Use Programs and Features in Control Panel

Clean pub cache

The pub cache can grow large over time:

dart pub cache clean
# Or manually:
rm -rf ~/.pub-cache

fvm

dart pub global deactivate fvm
rm -rf ~/.fvm

Summary

This topic covers the core concepts of installation, including underlying theory, practical implementation, and key applications.

Key concepts include:

command-line fundamentals
file permissions and ownership
process management
shell scripting with bash
package management

Understanding these concepts thoroughly is essential for both examinations and practical programming, and requires both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice.

Worked Examples

Worked examples demonstrating the application of key concepts are covered in the detailed sub-pages linked above.

Cross-References

Introduction to Dart: Provides the language overview and motivation before diving into setup.
Entry Point: First code you run after installation — the main() function.
Best Practices: Configuration and tooling best practices once your environment is ready.
Error Handling: Error handling setup and crash reporting integration for production apps.

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