Visit Apps Ved →

clx

ahead-of-time Lua compiler to native executables

TLDR

Compile a Lua script to a native executable
$ clx [file.lua]
Compile with custom output name
$ clx [file.lua] --output [name]
Optimize for speed or size
$ clx [file.lua] --size```

Emit **C++ source** only (do not compile)
Produce an object file or static module
$ clx --static [file.lua]```

**Minimal** runtime (base + package modules only)

SYNOPSIS

clx [options] file.lua

DESCRIPTION

clx is a cross-platform ahead-of-time (AOT) Lua compiler and runtime that generates standalone native executables through a modern C++ toolchain (Clang, GCC, or MSVC). It targets Lua 5.5 compatibility and aims for fast startup, deployable binaries, and predictable performance without a bytecode interpreter.Unknown flags are forwarded to the backend C++ compiler (for example -O2). Size-oriented builds can produce compact executables; --minimal links only base and package modules.

PARAMETERS

--output name

Output executable name
--object / --static / --cpp
Emit object file, static library, or C++ source instead of a full executable
--fast / --size / --debug
Optimize for speed, size (default orientation), or debug builds
--minimal
Link only base and package modules
--version / --help
Version or usage

CAVEATS

Dynamic loading (load, dofile, loadfile, string.dump) and full debug support are limited in a pure AOT model. The traditional Lua C API is not supported; native modules use the clx C++ API. The compiler used to build clx is fixed at build time for ABI compatibility with generated code.

SEE ALSO

lua(1), luajit(1)

RESOURCES

Source code · Homepage · Documentation