Installing Dependencies

lip provides flexible ways to install dependencies.

Basic Installation

To install a package by its package id:

lip install <PACKAGES>

Example:

lip install github.com/user/repo

This installs the newest version of the package that has an entry for your workspace's side and platform, and the dependencies it declares, into your workspace, and records them in the state file. It does not modify any lip.toml.

Specifying Versions

You can install exactly one version using the @ syntax:

lip install github.com/user/repo@1.0.0

To select a variant, append #<variant> to the path, e.g. github.com/user/repo#lua@1.0.0.

Installing a Branch, Tag or Commit

To try unreleased changes, install the head of a branch, any tag, or a commit:

lip install github.com/user/repo@branch:main
lip install github.com/user/repo@tag:nightly
lip install github.com/user/repo@rev:0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567

The state file records the commit, so the workspace stays on it until lip update, which follows a branch to its new head. See Git refs.

Installing from Local Files and Directories

You can install a package directly from a local ZIP file or directory with a lip.toml at its root, by a path relative to the current directory or an absolute path:

lip install ./path/to/package.zip
lip install C:\Downloads\package.zip
lip install ../MyTool

This is useful for testing packages before publishing.

Installing from Remote URLs

You can also install a ZIP archive with a lip.toml at its root directly from an HTTPS URL:

lip install https://example.com/package.zip

Server Workspaces Only

lip manages server workspaces: mods are installed to mods/<name>/ (see Environment). Client workspaces are managed by launchers such as LeviLauncher, which read the same packages.

Before lip install, lip uninstall or lip update writes or deletes files in the workspace, lip creates mods if it is missing; an operation that writes and deletes nothing, such as installing a package without assets, leaves mods alone. If mods is a link, lip stops and changes nothing.

Command Flags

-n, --dry-run: Simulate the installation without making any changes. Useful to see what would happen.