How to Install Go on Mac: Step-by-Step Guide

To install Go on a Mac, download the official installer from the golang.org website or use Homebrew by running brew install go in the Terminal. After installation, verify it by running go version.

Syntax

There are two main ways to install Go on a Mac:

• Official installer: Download a .pkg file from the Go website and run it.
• Homebrew: Use the command brew install go in the Terminal.

After installation, use go version to check the installed Go version.

bash

brew install go

go version

Output

go version go1.20.5 darwin/amd64

Example

This example shows how to install Go using Homebrew and verify the installation.

bash

brew install go

go version

Output

Updating Homebrew...
==> Downloading https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula.json
==> Installing dependencies for go: ...
==> Installing go
==> Pouring go-1.20.5.monterey.bottle.tar.gz
==> Caveats
Go is installed.
==> Summary
🍺  /usr/local/Cellar/go/1.20.5: 15,000 files, 370MB

go version go1.20.5 darwin/amd64

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when installing Go on Mac include:

• Not updating PATH environment variable after manual installation, so go command is not found.
• Using an outdated installer or Homebrew formula.
• Conflicts if multiple Go versions are installed.

To fix PATH, add export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile).

bash

echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

# Verify
which go

go version

Output

/usr/local/go/bin/go
go version go1.20.5 darwin/amd64

Quick Reference

Summary of Go installation commands on Mac:

Action	Command
Install Go with Homebrew	brew install go
Verify Go version	go version
Add Go to PATH (manual install)	export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
Reload shell profile	source ~/.zshrc or source ~/.bash_profile

Key Takeaways

Use Homebrew with 'brew install go' for the easiest Go installation on Mac.

Always verify installation by running 'go version' in Terminal.

If Go command is not found, add '/usr/local/go/bin' to your PATH environment variable.

Keep Go updated by regularly running 'brew update' and 'brew upgrade go'.

Avoid multiple Go versions to prevent conflicts.