flutter_compile

A CLI + IDE extensions for Flutter contributors and power users. Manage multiple Flutter SDK versions, automate contributor environment setup, and wrap the engine build/run/test cycle into simple commands.

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IDE Extensions

VS Code Extension

Install from the VS Code Marketplace or search Flutter Compile in the Extensions panel.

• Browse, install, switch, pin, and remove Flutter SDKs from the sidebar
• Toggle between Native and FVM SDK backends with one click
• Doctor diagnostics with install/fix actions for failing checks
• Engine Builds view for contributors compiling the Flutter engine
• Status bar with active SDK version — click to switch
• Auto-updates dart.flutterSdkPath on SDK switch

See the full VS Code Extension README for details.

IntelliJ / Android Studio Plugin

Install from the JetBrains Marketplace or search Flutter Compile in Settings > Plugins.

• Tool window with SDKs, Doctor, and Engine Builds tabs
• Mode dropdown to switch between Native and FVM backends
• Toolbar combo box for instant SDK switching
• Right-click context menu: Set Global, Pin to Project, Open Folder, Remove
• File watcher for .flutter-version changes
• Auto-updates Flutter SDK path in project settings

See the full IntelliJ Plugin README for details.

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Getting Started (CLI)

dart pub global activate flutter_compile

Both flutter_compile and the shorter fcp alias are available:

fcp sdk list          # same as flutter_compile sdk list
fcp doctor            # same as flutter_compile doctor

Requirements: macOS, Linux, or Windows; git, python3. On Windows, Visual Studio with C++ workload is required for engine builds.

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Quick Reference

Command	Alias	Description
sdk install <ver>		Install a Flutter SDK by version or channel
sdk list	sdk ls	List installed SDKs with global/project markers
sdk global [ver]		Set or show the global default SDK
sdk use [ver]		Pin or show per-project SDK (.flutter-version)
sdk exec <cmd>		Run a command through the resolved SDK
sdk remove <ver>		Delete an installed SDK
install flutter	i flutter	Set up Flutter contributor environment
install engine	i engine	Set up engine build environment (requires install flutter first)
install devtools	i devtools	Set up DevTools contributor environment
uninstall <env>	delete	Remove a contributor environment
sync	sy	Sync all contributor environments with upstream
build engine	b engine	Compile the Flutter engine (GN + ninja)
run	r	Run a Flutter app with a locally-built engine
test	t	Run tests with a locally-built engine
clean	c	List or delete engine build outputs
status	st	Show engine configuration and builds
config	cf	Read/write ~/.flutter_compilerc settings
doctor	dr	Health-check tools, config, and environments
daemon		JSON-RPC 2.0 server for IDE communication
ui		Interactive terminal UI dashboard
update	up	Self-update to latest pub version

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SDK Management

Install and manage multiple Flutter SDK versions side-by-side. Each SDK gets its own isolated PUB_CACHE.

fcp sdk install 3.24.0          # specific version
fcp sdk install stable           # channel
fcp sdk global 3.24.0            # set global default
fcp sdk use 3.24.0               # pin to current project
fcp sdk exec flutter doctor      # run through resolved SDK
fcp sdk remove 3.19.0            # delete an SDK

Resolution order for sdk exec: project .flutter-version first, then global default.

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Contributor Environment Setup

One-command setup for Flutter framework, DevTools, and engine contributor environments.

fcp install flutter              # clone flutter/flutter, set up remotes
fcp install engine               # depot_tools + gclient sync (requires install flutter first)
fcp install engine --force       # force gclient sync for dirty repos
fcp install devtools             # clone flutter/devtools, configure PATH
fcp sync                         # sync all environments with upstream
fcp sync engine --force          # force sync with --reset

Engine Workflow

fcp build engine                              # host, debug, unoptimized
fcp build engine -p android -m release        # android release
fcp run                                       # run app with local engine
fcp test                                      # test with local engine
fcp clean                                     # list builds with sizes
fcp status                                    # engine config overview

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Daemon & Terminal UI

fcp daemon     # JSON-RPC 2.0 server for IDE extensions (stdin/stdout)
fcp ui         # interactive terminal dashboard (SDKs, Doctor, Builds)

The daemon supports sdk.list, sdk.global.get/set, doctor, config.*, status, and sdk.changed/config.changed notifications.

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JSON Output

fcp sdk list --json
fcp doctor --json
fcp config list --json
fcp status --json

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Shell Completions

fcp completion install    # install tab completions for your shell
fcp completion uninstall  # remove completions

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Running Tests

dart test

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