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Flutter › Flutter for Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)

How can you properly package and distribute a genuinely completed Flutter desktop application for each specific target platform, including creating a proper Windows installer, a macOS DMG file, or a Linux package?

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Answer

Properly distributing a finished Flutter desktop app requires packaging it appropriately according to each specific target platform's own established conventions, which typically means creating a genuine Windows installer using a tool such as Inno Setup or MSIX specifically for distribution through the Microsoft Store, properly building and correctly signing a macOS application bundle, potentially further packaged into a DMG disk image file for straightforward distribution, or building an appropriate Linux package such as a Snap or Flatpak, and each one of these distinct distribution formats genuinely has its own specific separate build and code signing requirements that generally differ meaningfully from the mobile app store submission process.
flutter build windows --release
flutter build macos --release
flutter build linux --release
Real-world example A company distributing their Flutter desktop productivity app creates a properly signed Windows installer using MSIX for the Microsoft Store, a correctly signed macOS DMG for direct distribution, and a Flatpak package specifically for their Linux based users.

Common follow-ups: What specific code signing requirements exist for distributing a macOS app outside of the official Mac App Store?;How does the auto update process typically work for a Flutter desktop application?