How to set up Flutter on Ubuntu

Setting up Flutter on Ubuntu is a straightforward process if you follow the right steps. This guide covers installing Flutter, configuring the Android SDK, and setting up VM acceleration for a smooth development experience on Ubuntu. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this tutorial will help you get started with Flutter development.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• An Ubuntu distribution (e.g., Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, or later).
• Administrative access (sudo).
• An internet connection for downloading packages.
• Basic familiarity with the terminal.

Step 1: Install Java

Flutter and Android development require a compatible Java Development Kit (JDK). OpenJDK 17 is recommended for compatibility with Gradle and Android toolchains.

Check Compatibility

Refer to the Gradle compatibility matrix to ensure your Java version aligns with your Gradle version.

Install OpenJDK 17

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y openjdk-17-jre openjdk-17-jdk

Verify the installation:

java -version

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Flutter requires several libraries and tools for development.

sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get install -y curl git unzip xz-utils zip libglu1-mesa
sudo apt-get install -y libc6:amd64 libstdc++6:amd64 lib32z1 libbz2-1.0:amd64

Step 3: Install Flutter SDK or FVM

You can either install the Flutter SDK directly or use the Flutter Version Manager (FVM) for managing multiple Flutter versions. FVM is recommended for flexibility.

Option 1: Install Flutter SDK

1. Download the latest stable Flutter SDK from the official site. For example:

   • Flutter 3.24.4

2. Create a directory for Flutter (in my case, I prefer ~/app/):

    mkdir -p ~/app
   

3. Extract the downloaded file:

    tar -xf ~/Downloads/flutter_linux_3.24.4-stable.tar.xz -C ~/app/
   

4. Add Flutter to your $PATH:

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

5. Check the Flutter installation and fix any issues:

    flutter doctor
   

Option 2: Install FVM

FVM allows you to manage multiple Flutter versions without manually installing the SDK.

1. Follow the FVM installation guide.

2. Install FVM to ~/app:

    mkdir -p ~/app
    dart pub global activate fvm
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.pub-cache/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
    source ~/.bashrc
   

3. Install a Flutter version via FVM:

    fvm install 3.24.4
    fvm use 3.24.4 --global
   

4. Run flutter doctor to verify:

    fvm flutter doctor
   

Step 4: Install Android Studio (Optional)

Android Studio provides a GUI for managing Android SDKs and emulators, which is useful for Flutter development.

1. Download Android Studio from the official site. For example:

   • Android Studio 2024.3.1.14

2. Extract the downloaded file:

    tar -xvf ~/Downloads/android-studio-2024.3.1.14-linux.tar.gz -C /usr/local/
   

3. Run the initial setup:

    /usr/local/android-studio/bin/studio.sh
   

4. Complete the setup wizard and create a desktop entry as prompted.

Configure Java for Android Studio

Android Studio uses its bundled JDK (jbr) located at /usr/local/android-studio/jbr. To ensure compatibility, create a symbolic link:

sudo ln -s /usr/local/android-studio/jbr /usr/local/android-studio/jre

Alternatively, use your system’s OpenJDK 17 (my project Gradle needs this version and I can’t set Android Studio to use it directly):

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64 /usr/local/android-studio/jre

Step 5: Configure Android SDK

The Android SDK is required for building and testing Flutter apps.

1. Download the latest Android command-line tools from the Android Studio site. For example:

   • Command Line Tools

2. Create a directory for the Android SDK:

    mkdir -p ~/Android/Sdk
   

3. Extract the command-line tools:

    unzip ~/Downloads/commandlinetools-linux-11076708_latest.zip -d ~/Android/Sdk
   

4. Organize the tools:

    cd ~/Android/Sdk/cmdline-tools
    mkdir latest
    mv * latest
   

5. Set environment variables in ~/.bashrc:

    echo '# For Flutter SDK' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/app/flutter/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo '# For Android SDK' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Android/Sdk' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest"' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools"' >> ~/.bashrc
    source ~/.bashrc
   

6. Install Android SDK packages using sdkmanager:

    sdkmanager "platform-tools" "build-tools;35.0.0" "platforms;android-35" "emulator" "system-images;android-35;google_apis_playstore;x86_64"
   

7. Verify the installation:

    adb --version
   

Step 6: Configure VM Acceleration

To run Android emulators efficiently, enable VM acceleration using KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine).

Install KVM

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils

Add User to KVM Groups

sudo usermod -aG kvm $USER
sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER

Log out and back in for the changes to take effect.

Verify KVM Installation

virsh list --all

Optionally, launch virt-manager for a GUI to manage VMs:

virt-manager

Troubleshoot KVM (if needed)

Check the libvirtd service status:

sudo systemctl status libvirtd

Step 7: Verify Flutter Setup

Run flutter doctor to check for any remaining issues:

flutter doctor

Follow the suggestions to resolve minor errors or warnings, such as accepting Android licenses:

flutter doctor --android-licenses

Uninstalling Flutter and Android SDK

To completely remove Flutter, Android Studio, and the Android SDK from your Ubuntu system, follow these steps to ensure a clean uninstall:

Remove Flutter SDK or FVM

1. Flutter SDK:

   • Delete the Flutter SDK directory:

       rm -rf ~/app/flutter
     

   • Remove the Flutter path from ~/.bashrc:

       sed -i '/flutter\/bin/d' ~/.bashrc
       source ~/.bashrc
     

2. FVM:

   • Uninstall FVM:

       dart pub global deactivate fvm
     

   • Remove FVM cache and binaries:

       rm -rf ~/.pub-cache/bin/fvm
       rm -rf ~/.fvm
     

   • Remove the FVM path from ~/.bashrc:

       sed -i '/pub-cache\/bin/d' ~/.bashrc
       source ~/.bashrc
     

Remove Android Studio

• Delete the Android Studio installation:

    sudo rm -rf /usr/local/android-studio
  

• Remove any Android Studio configuration files:

    rm -rf ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio*
    rm -rf ~/.local/share/applications/android-studio.desktop
  

Remove Android SDK

• Delete the Android SDK directory:

    rm -rf ~/Android
  

• Remove Android-related environment variables from ~/.bashrc:

    sed -i '/ANDROID_HOME/d' ~/.bashrc
    sed -i '/cmdline-tools/d' ~/.bashrc
    sed -i '/platform-tools/d' ~/.bashrc
    source ~/.bashrc
  

Remove Java (Optional)

If you no longer need OpenJDK:

sudo apt-get remove -y openjdk-17-jre openjdk-17-jdk
sudo apt-get autoremove -y

Remove KVM (Optional)

If you no longer need KVM:

sudo apt-get remove -y qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils
sudo apt-get autoremove -y

Verify Uninstallation

• Check that Flutter is removed:

    which flutter
  

• Ensure Android SDK tools are gone:

    which adb
  

• Confirm Java is removed (if applicable):

    java -version
  

Conclusion

Setting up Flutter on Ubuntu involves installing Java, the Flutter SDK (or FVM), Android Studio (optional), and the Android SDK, followed by configuring VM acceleration for emulators. The uninstallation steps ensure you can cleanly remove all components if needed. By following this guide, you’ll have a fully functional Flutter development environment ready for building cross-platform apps. If you encounter issues or have tips to share, please contact!