In this paper, the problem of l(1)-induced controller design for discrete-time positive systems is investigated with the use of linear Lyapunov function. An analytical method to compute the exact value of l(1)-induced norm is first presented. Then, a novel characterization for stability and l(1)-induced performance is proposed. Based on the characterization, a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of desired controllers is derived, and an iterative convex optimization approach is developed to solve the condition. In addition, the synthesis of the state-feedback controller for single-input multiple-output (SIMO) positive systems is investigated. For this special case, an analytic solution is established to show how the optimal l(1)-induced controller can be designed, and some links to the spectral radius of the closed-loop systems are provided. Finally, the theoretical results are illustrated through a numerical example. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.