Install Go

Before You Start

• Applies to: Go 1.21+ (examples verified with Go 1.22) · Prerequisites: Get Started · Read time: about 8 min

This guide will help you install Go language on different operating systems.

Choose Your Operating System

Select the operating system you are using:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux

System Requirements

Before installing Go, please ensure your system meets the following minimum requirements:

Windows

• Windows 7 or later
• 64-bit or 32-bit processor

macOS

• macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon processor

Linux

• Any mainstream Linux distribution
• 64-bit or 32-bit processor

Download Go

Visit the official download page to download the Go installation package suitable for your system.

Installation Overview

The Go installation process is simple and straightforward:

1. Download: Download the installation package suitable for your system
2. Install: Follow the installation wizard or extract the archive
3. Configure: Set up environment variables (GOROOT, GOPATH, PATH)
4. Verify: Run go version to verify the installation

Environment Variables

After installation, you may need to configure the following environment variables:

GOROOT

Specifies the Go installation directory. By default:

• Windows: C:\Go
• macOS/Linux: /usr/local/go

GOPATH

Specifies the Go workspace directory. By default:

• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\go
• macOS/Linux: $HOME/go

PATH

Add the following to the PATH environment variable:

• %GOROOT%\bin or $GOROOT/bin
• %GOPATH%\bin or $GOPATH/bin

Verify Installation

After installation is complete, open a terminal or command prompt and execute:

go version

If the installation is successful, you should see output similar to:

go version go1.21.3 windows/amd64

Next Steps

After installation is complete, you can:

1. Learn Go basics: Visit Go Getting Started Guide
2. Write your first program: Create a simple Hello World program
3. Explore the standard library: Learn about Go's rich standard library
4. Join the community: Participate in the Go community and get help

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during installation, please check:

1. System compatibility: Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements
2. Permissions: Ensure you have sufficient permissions to install software
3. Environment variables: Ensure environment variables are configured correctly
4. Network connection: Ensure you can access the Go official website

For more detailed troubleshooting information, please visit the installation guide for your specific operating system.

Additional Resources

• Official Documentation
• Go Tour
• Effective Go
• Go FAQ

Complete Example

After installing Go, use the program below to verify the toolchain works. Copy it into a file and run go run main.go, or paste it into the Go Playground.

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"runtime"
	"strings"
)

func main() {
	v := runtime.Version()
	fmt.Println("version:", v)
	fmt.Println("is a Go 1.x release:", strings.HasPrefix(v, "go1."))
	fmt.Println("toolchain works:", runtime.NumCPU() > 0)
}

Expected output (the version line shows what you installed, so the number will differ):

version: go1.22.5
is a Go 1.x release: true
toolchain works: true

Common Pitfalls

• Windows needs a new terminal. The go command is not found in shells that were open before the installer updated PATH.
• macOS/Linux need PATH edits. Add Go's bin directory to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile and reload it with source.
• Multiple versions can shadow each other. Use which -a go (macOS/Linux) or where.exe go (Windows) to see which one runs first.
• Avoid sudo go. Caches and modules written as root cause permission errors later.
• Corporate networks may need proxies. Set GOPROXY (and GOPRIVATE for internal repositories) with go env -w.

Change Log

• 2026-10-14: Added "Before You Start" notes, a complete runnable example with expected output, common pitfalls, and this change log.