luape

luape is a tiny utility that enables users to create portable scripts with Lua. The modus operandi of the tool is quite simple, considering that the executable already contains the Lua runtime. Once accessed, the application starts looking for the Lua bytecode in memory and runs it.

Take note that the bytecode includes a script with two arguments by default, namely the script and the output filename. The utility compiles the script and creates a copy of the executable that is a patched version of itself with the aforementioned bytecode. The end result is a self-contained executable that includes the Lua code without any external dependencies.

Depending on the project, users can also generate portable tools that have access to low-level LuaSocket bindings, socket.core and respectively mime.core. According to the developer, to achieve this, users need to check out how the official Lua scripts implement the bindings and then copy what they need into their code before using the program.

The CLI application enables users to set a name via an alpha-numeric string and specify if the Lua debug information should be included in the compiled chunk via the /debug command. Lastly, via the /hidden command, users can generate a PE that does not feature a graphical interface.