How To Install Lua Scripting Language on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Lua Programming Language in Ubuntu systems

Lua is a lightweight, high-level, multi-paradigm programming language designed primarily for embedded use in applications.  Lua is cross-platform, since the interpreter of compiled bytecode is written in ANSI C, and Lua has a relatively simple C API to embed it into applications.

Lua originated in 1993 as a language for extending software applications to meet the increasing demand for customization at the time. It provided the basic facilities of most procedural programming languages, but more complicated or domain-specific features were not included; rather, it included mechanisms for extending the language, allowing programmers to implement such features. As Lua was intended to be a general embeddable extension language, the designers of Lua focused on improving its speed, portability, extensibility, and ease-of-use in development.

Install lua on Ubuntu-APT method

Follow the steps below to get started with lua :

• Update your Ubuntu system packages with running the below command:

sudo apt update -y && sudo apt upgrade -y

• lua package is available on Ubuntu base repository. So You can install it directly as follows:

sudo apt install lua5.3 -y

Install lua on Ubuntu-Source file method

• You can also install lua via running the following below commands to download the Lua source file from the official page:

mkdir lua
cd lua/
curl -R -O http://www.lua.org/ftp/lua-5.4.4.tar.gz

• Then extract the downloaded package as follows:

tar zxf lua-5.4.4.tar.gz
cd lua-5.4.4

• Compile the source code as shown below:

make linux test

• Then run the make install command as follow:

sudo make install

• Once installed, run Lua shell as shown:

lua

Create a lua program

After accessing the lua interpreter, type the below as a name of your program:

unixcop.lua

Then add the following file:

print("Hello Visitors!")
print("unixcop.com")

• Make a lua file using your favorite editor:

vim unixcop.lua

Then add the following:

print("Hello Visitors!") 
print("unixcop.com")

Save and close the file, then run your program:

lua unixcop.lua

Install lua -Conclusion

That’s it

Thanks.