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Installation on Mac

This tutorial walks you through installing L5 with the Love (Love2d) framework on your Macintosh computer.

Video Tutorial

Text and Screenshot Tutorial

  1. Love is the underlying Framework that will allow L5 code to run on your computer. So we start by installing Love. Go to the Love website and click to download the 64-bit zipped Mac program. Love2d website with downloads
  2. Click "Allow" if it asks 'Do you want to allow downloads on "love2d.org"?' It should download to your Downloads folder by default. Alert box asking permission to download Love2d
  3. Now on your desktop (called "Finder" on macOS) open up your Downloads folder. You can right click and choose Open (see screenshot) or double click on Love to launch it. Folder with love application and L5 Starter folder
  4. A warning popup box opens to say the program and code is not verified by Apple since you will be writing your own custom code. If you can choose Open because you turned off restrictions, then choose Open! Otherwise, DO NOT move to the trash. Alert box stating macOS cannot verify the developer of love. The correct option is Open.
  5. If you weren't allowed to open it, go to your System Setting > Privacy & Security. Scroll down to the Security section and next to "love" was blocked to protect your Mac. choose Open Anyway. System settings showing the Privacy and Security settings. Scroll down to Security and next to "love" was blocked to protect your mac, click to "Open Anyway".
  6. Now go back to your Downloads folder and Double click on Love. We only need to do this once! It's to verify Love works on your computer, which will allow L5 to run your custom code. You should see a window open with a flying bird-shaped balloon and clouds, verifying that Love is now properly installed on your computer. At this point you can close the window. A flying bird-shaped balloon and cartoon clouds
  7. From the L5lua.org Download page, download the L5 Starter project. L5 website download page with L5 Starter
  8. Click "Allow" if it asks 'Do you want to allow downloads on "l5lua.org"?' Alert box asking permission to download L5-Starter
  9. Back in your downloads folder, drag the L5-starter folder onto the Love application in the folder. It should now launch and you should see a new window open with your code sketch. A yellow background window appearing on top of folder holding L5 Starter and love application

Next steps: You've installed Love and have L5 on your computer and verified you can run your own programs. Check out Getting Started or the tutorials to learn more about where you can edit your code and run it.