Install Lua

Installing Lua is straightforward and varies depending on your operating system. Lua is lightweight and doesn’t require much disk space or system resources.

Choose your operating system below to get specific installation instructions:

What You’re Installing

When you install Lua, you’ll get:

• lua interpreter: The command-line program to run Lua scripts
• luac compiler: Compiles Lua source code to bytecode for faster execution
• Standard libraries: Core libraries for string manipulation, math operations, and more

Verifying Your Installation

After installation, you can verify Lua is working by running:

lua -v

This should display the Lua version you’ve installed. You can also start the interactive interpreter with:

lua

Installation Methods

Package Managers (Recommended)

Most users should install Lua through their system’s package manager. This ensures proper integration with your system and easy updates.

Source Installation

For advanced users or when you need a specific version, you can compile Lua from source. This gives you more control over the installation process and allows you to customize the build.

Distribution-Specific Packages

Some Linux distributions may have Lua split into multiple packages (lua5.3, lua5.4, etc.). Choose the version that best fits your requirements. Lua 5.4 is the latest stable version and is recommended for new projects.

For more detailed information about Lua versions and installation options, visit the official Lua website.