clx
ahead-of-time Lua compiler to native executables
TLDR
Emit **C++ source** only (do not compile)
**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.
