Golang GOPATH and GOROOT

If you are new to Golang, you may have heard of the terms GOPATH and GOROOT. These are important concepts that every Golang developer should understand. In this article, we will discuss what GOPATH and GOROOT are and how to use them effectively.

What is GOPATH?

GOPATH is an environment variable that specifies the root directory of your Go workspace. A workspace is a directory hierarchy where you keep all your Go code and dependencies. The GOPATH environment variable is used to tell the Go tools where to find your workspace.

By default, GOPATH is set to a directory called go inside your home directory. However, you can set GOPATH to any directory on your system.

Why is GOPATH important?

GOPATH is important because it determines where your Go packages are installed and where the Go tools look for them. When you run a Go command, such as go build or go test, the Go tools look for the required packages in your workspace, which is defined by GOPATH.

How to set GOPATH?

To set GOPATH, you need to specify the path to your workspace directory. You can do this by setting the GOPATH environment variable in your terminal or in your system's environment variables.

For example, if you want to set GOPATH to a directory called mygo, you can run the following command in your terminal −

export GOPATH=/path/to/mygo

You can also add this line to your .bashrc or .bash_profile file to make the change permanent.

What is GOROOT?

GOROOT is an environment variable that specifies the location of your Go installation directory. The Go tools use GOROOT to find the standard library and other Go binaries.

By default, GOROOT is set to the installation directory of the Go distribution. However, you can set GOROOT to any directory on your system.

Why is GOROOT important?

GOROOT is important because it tells the Go tools where to find the standard library and other Go binaries. When you install a new version of Go, you need to update GOROOT to point to the new installation directory.

How to set GOROOT?

To set GOROOT, you need to specify the path to your Go installation directory. You can do this by setting the GOROOT environment variable in your terminal or in your system's environment variables.

For example, if you want to set GOROOT to a directory called /usr/local/go, you can run the following command in your terminal −

export GOROOT=/usr/local/go

You can also add this line to your .bashrc or .bash_profile file to make the change permanent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, GOPATH and GOROOT are important concepts that every Golang developer should understand. GOPATH specifies the root directory of your Go workspace, while GOROOT specifies the location of your Go installation directory. By setting these environment variables, you can control where the Go tools look for your packages and binaries. Understanding how to set GOPATH and GOROOT correctly is essential for developing and managing Golang projects effectively.