SDK Management

flutter_compile lets you install, switch, and pin multiple Flutter SDK versions with isolated pub caches.

Installing SDKs

Install from a channel to get the latest version on that channel:

flutter_compile sdk install stable
flutter_compile sdk install beta
flutter_compile sdk install dev
flutter_compile sdk install master

Or install a specific version:

flutter_compile sdk install 3.24.0
flutter_compile sdk install 3.22.3

The first SDK installed is automatically set as the global default.

Force re-install

To remove and re-install an existing SDK:

flutter_compile sdk install stable --force

Listing SDKs

flutter_compile sdk list

Output shows all installed versions with markers:

Flutter SDKs:
  3.24.0  (global)
  3.22.3  (project)
  3.19.0
  stable
  contributor

Use --json for machine-readable output:

flutter_compile sdk list --json

Setting the Global Default

The global default SDK is used in all terminals unless overridden by a project pin.

# Show current global
flutter_compile sdk global

# Set global
flutter_compile sdk global 3.24.0

This updates ~/.flutter_compilerc with the global_sdk_version key and modifies the shell PATH via ~/.flutter_compile_env.

Pinning to a Project

Pin an SDK version to a specific project by creating a .flutter-version file:

cd my_flutter_app
flutter_compile sdk use 3.22.3

Show the current pinned version:

flutter_compile sdk use

When a project has a .flutter-version file, the sdk exec command and IDE extensions will use that version instead of the global default.

Executing Through the Resolved SDK

Run any command using the resolved SDK (project pin → global default):

flutter_compile sdk exec flutter doctor
flutter_compile sdk exec flutter run
flutter_compile sdk exec dart analyze
flutter_compile sdk exec dart format .

The resolution order is:

1. Project .flutter-version in the current directory or parents
2. Global default from ~/.flutter_compilerc

Removing SDKs

flutter_compile sdk remove 3.19.0

Per-SDK PUB_CACHE Isolation

Each installed SDK uses its own .pub-cache directory:

~/flutter_compile/versions/3.24.0/.pub-cache
~/flutter_compile/versions/3.22.3/.pub-cache

This prevents dependency conflicts between SDK versions. When running sdk exec, the PUB_CACHE environment variable is automatically set to the resolved SDK's cache.

FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK Environment Variable

Since v0.12.0, IDE extensions set the FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK environment variable in terminal sessions. This ensures IDE terminals use the project-pinned SDK instead of the global default.

The shell env file (~/.flutter_compile_env) uses a conditional guard:

• If FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK is set (by an IDE extension), the terminal uses that path
• Otherwise, the global default SDK is used

Run flutter_compile migrate to update existing env files to the new guarded format.

Storage Layout