How to Install Golang (Go) on Debian 12/11/10

Go, also known as Golang, is a programming language developed by Google in 2007. It is an open-source language designed to build efficient, reliable, scalable software. Go is known for its simplicity, speed, and robustness. It is a compiled language that offers features such as garbage collection, concurrency, and strong typing.

Here are some key features of Go:

Syntax: Go has a simple and expressive syntax that is easy to read and write. It is similar to the C programming language in syntax, making it easy for developers familiar with C or C++ to pick up.
Garbage Collection: Go has a garbage collector that automatically manages memory allocation and deallocation. This makes it easier for developers to focus on writing code rather than worrying about memory management.
Concurrency: Go has built-in support for concurrency, making it easy to write concurrent programs. It uses Goroutines, lightweight threads that can be executed concurrently, to achieve concurrency.
Standard Library: Go has a rich library that provides a wide range of functionality for building web applications, system tools, and networking applications.
Cross-Platform: Go is a cross-platform language that can be compiled to run on various operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Static Typing: Go is a statically typed language, meaning variables must be declared with their type at compile time. This helps catch errors at compile time rather than at runtime.
Compiled Language: Go is a compiled language, meaning the code is translated into machine code that can be executed directly by the computer’s processor. This makes Go programs faster and more efficient than interpreted languages.

This guide will demonstrate installing Go on Debian 12 Bookworm, Debian 11 Bullseye, or Debian 10 Buster distributions using the command line terminal.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Update Debian

Before installing Golang on Debian, update your system to ensure all system packages are up-to-date and avoid potential conflicts. To do this, open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Download and Install Go

To download the latest version of Go, visit the official website at https://go.dev/dl/. At the time of writing, the latest version of Go is 1.20.2

Once you have identified the latest version of Go for Linux, copy the URL of the corresponding download link. For example, you can copy the following URL for Go 1.20.2.3:

https://golang.org/dl/go1.20.2.linux-amd64.tar.gz

In the terminal, navigate to the directory where you want to download the Go package. For example, you can navigate to the Downloads directory by running the following command:

cd ~/Downloads

Use the wget command to download the Go package. Replace the URL in the following command with the URL you copied earlier:

wget https://golang.org/dl/go1.20.2.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded package using the tar command:

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.20.2.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Step 3: Add Golang to Path

To use Go, add the Go binary directory to your PATH environment variable. To add the Go binary directory to your PATH environment variable in your specific profile, run the following command:

echo "export PATH=/usr/local/go/bin:${PATH}" | sudo tee -a $HOME/.profile

This command appends the Go binary directory to the PATH environment variable in your ~/.profile file.

To load the new PATH configuration onto your current login session, run the following command:

source $HOME/.profile

This command applies the changes made to the PATH environment variable in your ~/.profile file.

To verify that Go is installed correctly and that the PATH environment variable is configured correctly, run the following command in the terminal:

go version

This should output the version of Go you just installed, for example:

go version go1.20.2 linux/amd64

Step 4: Create a Go Test Application

In this step, we will create a small program that prints “Hello, World” using Go. This is a simple example to verify that Go is installed correctly and that you can create and execute a Go program

Create a new directory named go-hello using the following command:

mkdir go-hello

This directory will be used to store the Go program.

Create a new file named hello.go inside the go-hello directory using the following command:

nano go-hello/hello.go

Add the following code to the hello.go file:

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
     fmt.Printf("Hello, World\n") 
}

This code creates a simple Go program that prints “Hello, World” to the console.

Save the file by pressing Ctrl+O, then exit the editor by pressing Ctrl+X.

Create a new file named go.mod inside the go-hello directory using the following command:

nano go-hello/go.mod

Add the following line to the go.mod file:

module example.com/mod

This line is required to build the program.

Save the file by pressing Ctrl+O, then exit the editor by pressing Ctrl+X.

Change to the go-hello directory using the following command:

cd go-hello

Build the program by running the following command:

go build

This command will generate an executable file named mod.

Now execute the program by running the following command:

./mod

This command should output the following text:

Hello, World!

Conclusion

In conclusion, installing Golang on Debian is a straightforward process that can be done using the command line terminal. Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully install Golang on Debian 12 Bookworm, Debian 11 Bullseye, or Debian 10 Buster distributions. Once installed, you can develop efficient, reliable, and scalable software using Go. With its simplicity, speed, and robustness, Golang has become increasingly popular among developers and is used in various fields, including web development, system tools, and networking applications.

Additional Resources and Relevant Links

Go official website: Get downloads, documentation, and tutorials for Golang on the official website. (https://golang.org/)
Debian official website: Learn more about Debian distribution and its packages on the official website. (https://www.debian.org/)
Golang subreddit: Join a community of Golang developers on the Golang subreddit and share news, articles, and questions related to the programming language. (https://www.reddit.com/r/golang/)
Debian subreddit: Connect with Debian users and developers on the Debian subreddit and share news, articles, and questions about the Debian distribution. (https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/)
Go or Golang tag on Stack Overflow: Search for solutions to your coding problems related to Golang using the Go or Golang tag on Stack Overflow. (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/go or https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/golang)
Golang documentation: Access detailed information about the Golang programming language, including tutorials, packages, and libraries. (https://golang.org/doc/)
Debian wiki: Learn about Debian Linux and access installation guides, troubleshooting tips, and community resources on the Debian wiki. (https://wiki.debian.org/)
Golang FAQ: Get answers to common questions about the programming language, including installation, syntax, and best practices. (https://golang.org/doc/faq)
Debian forums: Ask and answer questions about Debian Linux on the community-driven Debian forums. (https://forums.debian.net/)
Golang blog: Stay updated with news and updates about the programming language on the official Golang blog. (https://blog.golang.org/)