OPEN SOURCE · LIGHTWEIGHT · CROSS-PLATFORM

Every Lua version.
Right where it belongs.

Install, switch and pin Lua with vfox or mise. From local development to CI, keep your commands familiar and your environment consistent.

Get started Release notes

Requires vfox 1.0.12 or newer

LUA / ENVIRONMENTv1.4.0

01 / LUA5.4.7

Lua, ready for your next run.

~/my-projectbash

$ vfox install [email protected]
✓ Lua is ready
$ vfox exec [email protected] -- lua -v
Lua 5.4.7

LinuxmacOSWindowsvfoxmise

[ 01 ]

One project, one version

Pin the Lua version for your project so terminals, scripts and CI use the same runtime.

[ 02 ]

LuaRocks, ready to use

LuaRocks is included by default on Linux and macOS. Install modules and load them right away.

[ 03 ]

Your tools, your choice

Use native vfox capabilities or the vfox plugin backend in mise.

01 / GET STARTED

A few commands. Then you’re in.

Install the build dependencies, then choose your version manager. These examples use Lua 5.4.7; use the search command to find other releases.

01 Add the plugin

vfox add --source https://github.com/yeshan333/vfox-lua/releases/download/v1.4.0/vfox-lua-1.4.0.zip lua

02 Install Lua

vfox install [email protected]

03 Run Lua

vfox exec [email protected] -- lua -v

01 Add the vfox plugin backend

mise plugins install vfox-yeshan333-vfox-lua https://github.com/yeshan333/vfox-lua.git

02 Install and select Lua

mise use -g vfox:yeshan333/[email protected]

03 Run in the selected environment

mise exec -- lua -v

02 / EVERYDAY DEVELOPMENT

From the first install to your daily run.

Keep the version with the project

vfox saves your choice in .vfox.toml and creates a stable .vfox/sdks/lua path. Inside the project, exec can use the selected version directly.

Bash

eval "$(vfox activate bash)"
vfox use -p [email protected]
vfox exec lua -- lua -v

Bring your favorite modules

Lua 5.x installs on Linux and macOS include LuaRocks and module search paths by default. If LuaRocks installation fails, the plugin explains why and keeps Lua usable.

LuaRocks

vfox exec [email protected] -- luarocks install luacheck
vfox exec [email protected] -- luacheck --version

WINDOWS / LUABINARIES

A prebuilt option for Windows

The default is a source build using MSYS2. This installation option downloads LuaBinaries instead; versions that are not provided fail with a clear message.

Available versions: 5.5.0, 5.4.8, 5.3.6, 5.2.4

PowerShell

$env:VFOX_LUA_WINDOWS_LUABINARIES = "1"
vfox install [email protected]
vfox exec [email protected] -- lua.exe -v

Prebuilt archives use SourceForge HTTPS mirrors without a pinned SHA-256 check. Use the default source build if you need download integrity verification.

03 / GOOD TO KNOW

Less guessing. More building.

How do I find other Lua versions?

Run vfox search lua or mise ls-remote vfox:yeshan333/vfox-lua. Replace 5.4.7 in the examples with the version you need.

Can I skip LuaRocks?

Yes. Set VFOX_LUA_LUAROCKS=0 or false before installation. LuaRocks is currently not included on Windows.

Which platforms and older releases are supported?

Linux, macOS and Windows are supported. Lua 5.0 and earlier are not supported on Linux; prebuilt Windows packages support only the versions listed above.

How do I update the plugin?

Run vfox update lua. Plugins added with the installation command on this site read updates from the manifest published in this repository.

Your next run starts here.

Find the source, report an issue or explore the releases on GitHub.

Explore the GitHub repository