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How to set GOPATH in Ubuntu

Go, or Golang is a modern programming language that emerged from a developer’s frustration at Google.

Engineers often had to choose between languages that compiled quickly but ran inefficiently or languages that performed well in production but were cumbersome to compile.

Go was created to address this dilemma by offering fast compilation, easy programming, and efficient execution.

An Overview:

• Why Go is Popular
• How to Set Up GOPATH
• Directory Structure for GOPATH
• How to Set Up GOROOT
• Final Checklist

Why Go is Popular

Go is a versatile language that caters to various programming projects but shines particularly in networking and distributed systems. It is referred to as “the language of the cloud” due to its robust support for concurrency and simplicity in managing complex cloud-based environments.

Here are some of the key features that make Go stand out:

• Built-in tools streamline development.
• Go eliminates debates over code formatting by making it part of the language specification (via `gofmt`).
• Compiles code into a single binary, simplifying deployment processes.
• A minimal set of keywords makes learning easy while offering power to seasoned developers.

Before diving into Go development, we must ensure Go is installed correctly on our system. To verify the installation, run:

go version

If Go is installed, the output will look something like this:

go version go1.16.3 darwin/amd64

If the command returns nothing or indicates that Go is not installed, download the Go binary from this link and install it on the system.

How to Set Up GOPATH

The GOPATH environment variable tells Go where to look for the code we are writing. Here’s how to set it up:

1. First, open the Configuration file:

   Use this command on Linux:

   vi ~/.bashrc

   Use this command on macOS:

   vi ~/.zshrc
2. Then, add the following line to the file:

   export GOPATH=/root/go_projects
3. Apply the changes by running the following:

   source ~/.bashrc
4. Now, confirm that GOPATH is set correctly:

   echo $GOPATH

   The output should display the directory you set (e.g., `/root/go_myprojects`).

Directory Structure for GOPATH

Inside the directory defined as GOPATH (e.g., `/root/go_myprojects`), create the following subdirectories:

• pkg: Contains packages and shared object files, if any.
• src: Houses the source code (this is where most of your work will happen).
• bin: Stores binary executables generated by Go.

This structured organization helps keep our Go projects clean and manageable.

How to Set Up GOROOT

The GOROOT environment variable points to the directory where Go is installed. To set it up:

1. First, reopen the configuration file (`.bashrc` or `.zshrc`).
2. Then, add the following line:

   export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
3. Now, apply the changes:

   source ~/.bashrc
4. Next, verify the setup:

   echo $GOROOT

   The output should show the directory where Go is installed (e.g., `/usr/local/go`).

Final Checklist

After setting up GOPATH and GOROOT:

1. Verify that Go is installed:

   go version
2. Confirm the environment variables:

   echo $GOPATH
echo $GOROOT


With everything in place, we are ready to start developing with Go!

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

Go’s simplicity, efficiency, and focus on developer productivity make it an excellent choice for various projects, especially in cloud computing. Whether we are a beginner exploring programming or an experienced developer building distributed systems, Go offers a perfect balance of power and ease. With its robust tooling and standardized practices, we can focus on writing great code rather than managing the environment.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to set GOPATH in Ubuntu.