clx is a cross-platform ahead-of-time Lua compiler and runtime that generates standalone native executables through modern C++ toolchains. clx is not trying to be the fastest Lua implementation in every workload.

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/samyeyo/clx.git
cd clx
./build.sh install       # or build.bat install on Windows
clx examples/hello/hello.lua
./hello

Hello clx !

What makes clx useful

• Just write Lua. clx targets Lua 5.5, so your code works like ordinary Lua.
• Fast native speed — your scripts are compiled to native machine code.
• Standalone binaries — no interpreter or extra runtime to install alongside your program.
• Small outputs — size-friendly builds can create very compact executables.
• Cross-platform — works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Extensible — add native C++ modules when you need extra performance.

Examples built with clx

clx ships real, runnable examples that show native desktop application development using standard Lua code.

Pong

A complete game written in Lua and compiled into a standalone native executable.

Mandelbrot viewer

A Mandelbrot viewer written in Lua and compiled into a standalone native executable.

Project status

clx is currently in beta. It can already compile real Lua applications, and compatibility and performance work continues.

Requirements

• Linux: g++ or clang++
• macOS: clang++ (Xcode) or g++ via Homebrew
• Windows: g++ (LLVM) or MSVC
• CMake 3.15+ to build from source

The compiler that builds clx is the same one used to compile your Lua scripts, keeping everything consistent. If you need a different compiler, just rebuild clx with it.

Using clx

The easiest way to use clx is to compile a Lua file into a runnable program:

clx file.lua          # compiles file.lua and produces an executable
./file                # run it

A few common options when you need more control:

clx file.lua --size        # optimize for size (default)
clx file.lua --fast        # optimize for speed
clx file.lua --output app  # give the output a custom name
clx file.lua --dynamic     # allow loading Lua code at runtime
clx --help                 # see all options

• load() / loadfile() / dofile() run on an embedded Lua engine and are only available when you compile with --dynamic. See Dynamic Lua.
• To write native modules, clx uses its own C++ API (the classic Lua C API is not supported). See Modules.

Benchmarks

clx compares well against the reference Lua 5.5 interpreter:

Measured on an Intel® Core™ i5 Ultra 125U CPU @ 4.30GHz · Linux · GCC 13.3.0 · Average of 10 runs

Full benchmarks are available in clx benchmarks

Documentation

Detailed guides live in the doc/ directory:

• Getting Started
• CLI Reference
• Dynamic Lua
• Compatibility
• Modules & C++ API
• Migration Guide
• Benchmarks

Start at the Documentation Index.

License

clx is MIT Licensed — Copyright (c) 2026 Tine Samir