Go, also known as Golang, is a fast, open-source programming language widely used for backend development, APIs, cloud applications, command-line tools, networking, and DevOps.

Before you can start writing Go programs, you need to install the Go toolchain on your computer.

This guide explains how to install Go on:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux

You will also learn how to verify your installation, understand the Go PATH setup, check environment variables, and run a basic test program.

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What Do You Need Before Installing Go?

You only need a few basic things:

• A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer
• Internet connection
• Administrator access if required
• Terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell
• A code editor such as Visual Studio Code

You do not need any previous Go installation.

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How to Install Go on Windows

Installing Go on Windows is straightforward.

Step 1: Download Go for Windows

Open the official Go download page in your browser.

Download the Windows installer that matches your system architecture.

Most modern Windows computers use a 64-bit processor, so you will usually need the 64-bit installer.

The installer file generally uses the .msi format.

Example:

go1.x.x.windows-amd64.msi

The exact version number will depend on the latest available Go release.

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Step 2: Run the Go Installer

After the download completes:

1. Open the downloaded .msi file.
2. Click Next.
3. Accept the license agreement.
4. Choose the installation location.
5. Continue with the installation.
6. Click Install.
7. Click Finish when installation is complete.

The default installation directory is commonly:

C:\Program Files\Go

In most cases, you should keep the default installation location.

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Step 3: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell

After installation, open:

Command Prompt

or:

PowerShell

You can search for either from the Windows Start menu.

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Step 4: Verify Go Installation

Run:

go version

If Go is installed correctly, you should see output similar to:

go version go1.x.x windows/amd64

The exact version may be different depending on the version you installed.

If you see the Go version, the installation was successful.

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Step 5: Check Go Environment

Run:

go env

This command displays important Go environment settings.

You may see values such as:

GOOS
GOARCH
GOROOT
GOPATH
GOMODCACHE

For example:

GOOS=windows
GOARCH=amd64

This confirms that Go recognizes your Windows environment.

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How to Install Go on macOS

Go can be installed on macOS using either the official installer or a package manager such as Homebrew.

For beginners, the official installer is usually the simplest option.

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Method 1: Install Go Using the Official macOS Installer

Step 1: Download Go for macOS

Open the official Go downloads page.

Choose the macOS installer that matches your Mac processor.

Modern Macs generally use one of two architectures:

Apple Silicon
Intel

Apple Silicon Macs include processors such as:

M1
M2
M3
M4

For Apple Silicon, download the ARM64 version.

For older Intel Macs, download the AMD64/x86-64 version.

The installer usually uses the .pkg format.

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Step 2: Run the Installer

Open the downloaded .pkg file.

Follow the installer steps:

1. Click Continue.
2. Review the installation information.
3. Select the destination if requested.
4. Click Install.
5. Enter your macOS password if required.
6. Finish the installation.

Go is commonly installed under:

/usr/local/go

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Step 3: Open Terminal

Open the macOS Terminal application.

You can find it through:

Applications → Utilities → Terminal

or by using Spotlight Search.

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Step 4: Verify Installation

Run:

go version

Example output:

go version go1.x.x darwin/arm64

On an Intel Mac, you may see:

go version go1.x.x darwin/amd64

If the version appears correctly, Go is installed.

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Install Go on macOS Using Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, you can install Go with:

brew install go

After installation, verify it:

go version

You can also check the installed Homebrew package:

brew list go

To update Go later through Homebrew:

brew upgrade go

Use either the official installer or Homebrew. You generally do not need both installation methods at the same time.

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How to Install Go on Linux

There are several ways to install Go on Linux.

One common method is to download the official binary archive and install it manually.

This approach gives you direct control over the installed Go version.

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Step 1: Check Your Linux Architecture

Run:

uname -m

Common outputs include:

x86_64

or:

aarch64

If you see:

x86_64

you will normally need the AMD64 Go archive.

If you see:

aarch64

you will normally need the ARM64 archive.

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Step 2: Download the Go Archive

Download the correct Linux archive from the official Go downloads page.

The filename may look similar to:

go1.x.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

or:

go1.x.x.linux-arm64.tar.gz

The exact version number will depend on the release you choose.

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Step 3: Remove an Existing Go Installation

If you previously installed Go manually, remove the old installation directory before extracting the new one.

Run:

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

Be careful when using sudo rm -rf.

Make sure the path is exactly:

/usr/local/go

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Step 4: Extract the Go Archive

Suppose your downloaded file is:

go1.x.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Run:

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.x.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Replace the filename with the exact downloaded filename.

This extracts Go into:

/usr/local/go

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Step 5: Add Go to PATH

Now add the Go binary directory to your PATH.

For Bash, open:

nano ~/.bashrc

Add:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

Save the file and reload it:

source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh, edit:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

Then run:

source ~/.zshrc

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Step 6: Verify Go Installation

Run:

go version

You should see something similar to:

go version go1.x.x linux/amd64

or:

go version go1.x.x linux/arm64

This confirms that Go is installed correctly.

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Installing Go on Ubuntu Using APT

Ubuntu users may also see Go available through the package manager.

You can update package information with:

sudo apt update

Then install the Go package available in the Ubuntu repository.

However, distribution repositories may not always provide the newest Go version.

If you specifically need a recent official Go release, the official Go archive installation method is often preferable.

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How to Check Where Go Is Installed

After installation, you can check the Go executable location.

Windows

Run:

where go

You may see:

C:\Program Files\Go\bin\go.exe

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macOS and Linux

Run:

which go

Example:

/usr/local/go/bin/go

If installed through Homebrew on macOS, the path may be different.

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Understanding GOROOT

GOROOT represents the directory where Go itself is installed.

You can check it with:

go env GOROOT

Example:

/usr/local/go

On Windows, it may look similar to:

C:\Program Files\Go

Most users do not need to manually configure GOROOT.

Go usually detects it automatically.

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Understanding GOPATH

GOPATH is a workspace-related directory used by Go for certain files such as downloaded module caches and installed binaries.

Check it with:

go env GOPATH

Common locations include:

Windows

C:\Users\YourName\go

macOS

/Users/YourName/go

Linux

/home/YourName/go

Modern Go projects use modules, so you do not need to place every Go project inside GOPATH.

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GOROOT vs GOPATH

Beginners often confuse these two.

GOROOT means:

Where the Go installation is located

GOPATH means:

A user workspace/cache location used by Go tools

For example:

GOROOT
/usr/local/go

GOPATH
/home/user/go

You normally should not manually change GOROOT.

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How to Check All Go Environment Variables

Run:

go env

This displays the current Go environment configuration.

To check one specific value:

go env GOPATH

or:

go env GOROOT

You can also check the operating system target:

go env GOOS

And processor architecture:

go env GOARCH

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Create a Test Go Project

After installing Go, create a simple project to confirm everything works.

Create a directory:

mkdir hello-go

Move into it:

cd hello-go

Initialize a Go module:

go mod init example.com/hello

You should see a new file:

go.mod

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Create Your First Go File

Create:

main.go

Add:

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("Go installation is working!")
}

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Run the Go Program

Run:

go run main.go

You should see:

Go installation is working!

If this output appears, your Go setup is working correctly.

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Build the Go Program

You can also compile the project.

Run:

go build

Go creates an executable file for your operating system.

On Windows, it may look similar to:

hello.exe

On macOS or Linux, it may look similar to:

hello

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Important Go Commands After Installation

Here are some useful commands to remember.

Check Go version:

go version

Check environment:

go env

Run a file:

go run main.go

Create a new module:

go mod init example.com/myapp

Build a project:

go build

Format code:

go fmt ./...

Run tests:

go test ./...

Manage module dependencies:

go mod tidy

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How to Install Go Extension in Visual Studio Code

If you use Visual Studio Code, you can install the official Go extension.

Open VS Code and go to:

Extensions

Search for:

Go

Install the official Go extension.

The extension provides useful development features such as:

• Syntax highlighting
• Code completion
• Formatting
• Error checking
• Testing support
• Debugging support
• Navigation

After installing it, open your Go project folder in VS Code.

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Common Go Installation Problems

Problem: ‘go’ Is Not Recognized on Windows

You may see:

'go' is not recognized as an internal or external command

First close and reopen Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Then run:

where go

If Go still cannot be found, check whether the Go binary path is in the Windows PATH environment variable.

The standard path is commonly:

C:\Program Files\Go\bin

Add it to PATH if necessary.

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Problem: go: command not found on macOS or Linux

You may see:

go: command not found

Check:

which go

If nothing appears, ensure Go’s binary directory is included in PATH.

For a manual Linux/macOS installation:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

or:

source ~/.zshrc

Then check:

go version

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Problem: Old Go Version Is Still Showing

Run:

which go

On Windows:

where go

You may have more than one Go installation on your system.

Remove the older installation or adjust PATH so the correct Go executable appears first.

Then reopen your terminal and run:

go version

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Problem: Permission Denied on Linux

If installation commands fail because of permissions, you may need sudo.

For example:

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.x.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Do not run every Go development command with sudo.

Normally, sudo is only needed when modifying protected system directories.

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How to Update Go

The update process depends on how you installed it.

Windows

Download the newer official Windows installer and install it.

Afterward:

go version

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macOS Official Installer

Download and install the latest package from the official Go website.

Then verify:

go version

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macOS Homebrew

Run:

brew update

Then:

brew upgrade go

Verify:

go version

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Linux Manual Installation

Remove the previous Go installation:

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

Then extract the newer Go archive:

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.x.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Verify:

go version

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How to Uninstall Go

Windows

Open:

Settings → Apps → Installed Apps

Find Go and uninstall it.

If necessary, verify that old Go paths are no longer present in PATH.

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macOS

If installed using the official installer, remove the Go installation according to the installation location and current Go uninstall guidance.

If installed using Homebrew:

brew uninstall go

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Linux

For a manual installation:

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

Then remove the Go PATH line you previously added from:

~/.bashrc

or:

~/.zshrc

Reload the shell afterward.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Go free to install?

Yes. Go is open-source and free to download and use.

Is Golang different from Go?

No. Golang is a commonly used name for the Go programming language.

Can I install Go on Windows?

Yes. Go officially supports Windows.

Can I install Go on macOS?

Yes. Go supports both modern Apple Silicon Macs and supported Intel-based Macs.

Can I install Go on Linux?

Yes. Go supports Linux on multiple architectures.

How do I check whether Go is installed?

Run:

go version

If the Go version is displayed, the installation is working.

What is GOROOT?

GOROOT is the location where the Go distribution is installed.

Check it with:

go env GOROOT

What is GOPATH?

GOPATH is a user-specific workspace and cache location used by Go tools.

Check it with:

go env GOPATH

Do I need to manually set GOROOT?

Usually, no. Modern Go installations normally configure it automatically.

Which code editor is best for Go beginners?

Visual Studio Code with the official Go extension is a popular beginner-friendly option.

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Conclusion

Installing Go on Windows, macOS, or Linux is relatively straightforward.

On Windows, you can use the official .msi installer.

On macOS, you can use either the official .pkg installer or Homebrew.

On Linux, the official Go binary archive provides a reliable way to install a specific Go release.

After installation, always verify your setup with:

go version

Then check your environment with:

go env

Finally, create a simple Go project and run:

go run main.go

If your test program executes successfully, your Go development environment is ready.

From there, you can begin learning Go syntax, variables, functions, loops, slices, maps, structs, packages, and eventually backend and API development.