Configuration

flutter_compile uses a simple key-value configuration file and a dedicated shell environment file to manage paths and settings.

Configuration File

The main configuration file is ~/.flutter_compilerc. It uses a key:value format with one entry per line.

Configuration keys

Key	Friendly Alias	Description
`flutter_path`	`flutter`	Path to Flutter contributor checkout (e.g. ~/flutter_compile/flutter/bin)
`engine_path`	`engine`	Path to Flutter engine checkout
`devtools_path`	`devtools`	Path to DevTools checkout
`depot_tools_path`	`depot_tools`	Path to depot_tools installation
`global_sdk_version`	`global_sdk`	Currently set global Flutter SDK version

Example file

flutter_path:~/flutter_compile/flutter/bin
engine_path:~/flutter_compile/engine
devtools_path:~/flutter_compile/devtools
depot_tools_path:~/flutter_compile/depot_tools
global_sdk_version:stable

Note: Key-value splitting uses the first colon only, so Windows drive-letter paths (e.g. C:\Users\...) work correctly.

Config Command

List all settings

flutter_compile config
flutter_compile config list
flutter_compile config list --json

Get a specific setting

# Using friendly alias
flutter_compile config get flutter
flutter_compile config get engine

# Using raw key
flutter_compile config get flutter_path
flutter_compile config get global_sdk_version

Set a value

flutter_compile config set flutter_path ~/my/custom/flutter/bin
flutter_compile config set global_sdk_version 3.24.0

Doctor

The doctor command checks the health of your entire environment:

flutter_compile doctor
flutter_compile doctor --json

Check categories

Category	Checks
Required Tools	git, python3, dart, flutter
Engine Tools	gclient, ninja, Xcode (macOS), Visual Studio (Windows)
Config	`~/.flutter_compilerc` file validity
Environments	Flutter contributor, DevTools contributor, Engine contributor

Doctor also probes known depot_tools locations beyond PATH for gclient detection.

Shell Environment File

Since v0.10.0, flutter_compile uses a dedicated env file at ~/.flutter_compile_env to manage PATH exports. This file is sourced from your shell RC file (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc).

How it works

The env file contains PATH export blocks for:

Flutter contributor binary (flutter/bin)
Dart SDK from contributor Flutter
Depot tools
Global SDK version (with conditional guard)

FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK guard (v0.12.0+)

The SDK block in ~/.flutter_compile_env uses a conditional guard:

# When FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK is set (by an IDE extension):
#   → Use the IDE-provided SDK path
# When FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK is not set (regular terminal):
#   → Use the global default SDK path

This means IDE terminals automatically use the project-pinned SDK while regular terminals use the global default.

Migration

If you upgraded from an older version that wrote PATH exports directly to your shell RC file:

flutter_compile migrate

This command:

Moves PATH exports from ~/.zshrc / ~/.bashrc to ~/.flutter_compile_env
Rewrites SDK blocks with the FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK conditional guard
Adds a source line to your shell RC file

The update command also runs auto-migration.

Environment Variables Reference

Variable	Set By	Purpose
`FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK`	IDE extensions	Override SDK path in IDE terminals
`PUB_CACHE`	`sdk exec`	Per-SDK pub cache directory
`PATH`	`~/.flutter_compile_env`	SDK and tool paths

Special Files

File	Purpose
`~/.flutter_compilerc`	Main configuration file
`~/.flutter_compile_env`	Shell PATH exports (sourced by shell RC)
`.flutter-version`	Project-pinned SDK version (in project root)

Windows Notes

PATH exports use PowerShell profile instead of shell RC files
USERPROFILE is used instead of HOME
where is used instead of which for command detection
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE env var resolves host CPU
Doctor checks for Visual Studio (cl.exe) instead of Xcode