Prepare Your Mac for Go Development

The macOS platform is a solid choice for today’s developers. It offers high performance, good security, and excellent stability. And there are plenty of choices for integrated development environments (IDEs), code editors, and virtualization options.

Many new developers will begin with Python, a solid and popular choice. However, macOS offers plenty of opportunities for delving deeper into other programming languages. One such language is Go.

This article helps you get your Mac ready for your first project using the Go programming language. It discusses system configurations, supporting software, language installation, and more.

Let’s Go!

Golang (commonly known as “Go”) is an open source programming language designed to address concerns with existing development challenges, including slow build times, inefficient dependency management, and complex codebases.

Go exhibits several key features that make it an attractive development language. These features include:

• Simple syntax: Go’s syntax is straightforward, making it relatively easy to learn and work with. It is inspired by the C programming language.
• Performance: Go is a compiled language, meaning its machine code enables good performance.
• Memory management: Automatic memory management with garbage collection.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Go supports macOS, Linux, and Windows environments.

Developers choose Go for various applications, including:

• Server-side web applications and APIs.
• Cloud native applications.
• Distributed services and applications.
• Automation apps for DevOps environments.

Set Up MacOS and Go

I try to keep my host system pretty clean, so I use virtual machines to experiment with things like new languages. I prefer Parallels virtualization on my MacBook Pro. I start with the stock Mac VM images.

Figure 1: Parallels management panel, including a macOS VM.

Begin by configuring the VM to taste. Consider some of the following settings:

• Clean up the native macOS Dock by removing the extensive list of applications you probably won’t need on a VM-hosted dev workstation.
• Configure Spaces for two or more virtual desktops to save time.
• Set some inspiring wallpaper (maybe something with a Go theme).
• Configure the trackpad and keyboard as you see fit.
• Define your preferred display settings.
• Install your favorite browser if you don’t use Safari.
• Configure any external or cloud-based storage.
• Update the macOS operating system in the VM.

I tend to use dedicated macOS and Linux virtualized environments often, so taking a few minutes to define these custom settings makes a big difference in my productivity.

Add the Homebrew Package Manager

Once you set the OS how you like it, I strongly suggest installing the Homebrew package manager. Package managers make it much easier to maintain software, especially for applications not available on Apple’s App Store (and many such programs exist).

Homebrew is easy to install and easy to use. Simply open the macOS Terminal and enter the following script:

Homebrew’s documentation is decent, so you should be able to begin adding software easily.

Figure 2: Use the brew --version command to confirm the installation.

In this case, Homebrew will simplify your Go installation.

Update the Terminal

Speaking of the Terminal, you can get a lot of mileage out of installing and configuring a more robust terminal application. I suggest iTerm2. You might also supplement it with the Oh-My-Zsh framework for additional customizations. Just beware — delving into customized terminals can be a rabbit-hole of fun, explorations, and additional mods.

Consider a few basic settings for your initial iTerm2 configurations, such as split panes, preferred color schemes, type sizes, etc.

Brew to Go

Use the Homebrew package manager to add Go to your Mac. You’ll need the standard Homebrew installation command:

Your Go installation should be complete after a few moments of processing. Check the Go version by typing:

If you don’t choose to use Homebrew, you can rely on the official installer, which you can install from the Go Downloads page.

1. Download the installer.
2. Run the installer by double-clicking the .pkg  file.
3. Follow the provided installation instructions.
4. Set Go’s environment variables:

• • export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
  • export GOPATH=$HOME/go
  • export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$GOROOT/bin:$PATH

5. Update your changes by typing source ~/.zshrc

Type go version  to verify the installation.

Either installation method is fine. The Homebrew approach is typically easier, but the official installer offers additional customization options.

Your third installation option relies entirely on the macOS command line. Follow these steps:

First, download Go using the curl  command:

curl -o golang.pkg https://dl.google.com/go/go1.21.3.darwin-amd64.pkg

Next, install Go:

sudo open golang.pkg

Finally, check the Go language version:

go version

You could script this method as part of a larger automated deployment mechanism.

Since Go is open source, you can also compile it yourself from the source code.

Git It Together

Git is the de facto standard for maintaining today’s coding projects. It offers excellent version control, extensive collaboration, and robust code management features. Your final setup task for adding Go support to your Mac is installing Git. Various approaches exist, but the two most common are Homebrew, Xcode, and GitHub Desktop.

Assuming you installed Homebrew above, just run the brew install git  command in the Terminal.  Use the git --version  command to confirm the installation.

Figure 3: Use the git --version command to confirm the installation.

If you added Xcode to your Mac for some other programming language besides Go, you can add Git by typing xcode-select --install , which adds the Xcode Command Line Tools, including Git.

If you use GitHub as a repository, adding the GitHub Desktop application to your Mac automatically installs Git. This is a handy and common choice.

Add Your IDEs

One of the most critical coding tools is an integrated development environment (IDE). These tools often provide code suggestions, autocompletion, testing, linting, and other essential management tasks. Many IDEs exist for Go. Some are dedicated to Go, and others support multiple programming languages. If you already work with Python, Swift, Java, or other languages, you may want to consider one of these more extensive IDEs.

Start your Go journey by selecting from among these IDEs that run on macOS.

GoLand by JetBrains

JetBrains creates many programming tools. One is the Go-specific GoLand IDE. It’s a great place to start coding in Go. GoLand’s general features include:

• Code completion.
• Code refactoring.
• Built-in debugging and testing.
• Extensive plugin support and customization.
• Cross-platform macOS, Linux, and Windows support.

GoLand integrates with other services, including Docker, Kubernetes, and Git, to make it a solid component of your development workflow.

However, GoLand is a proprietary paid application, and it may be resource-intensive on older systems. It’s a good choice for professional developers looking for a feature-rich IDE and beginners who need an easy environment.

LiteIDE

LiteIDE is an open-source IDE for Go. It’s simple, lightweight, and easy. Its features include:

• Syntax highlighting.
• Code formatting.
• Debugging.
• Development management tools for projects.
• Markdown integration (for documentation).
• Cross-platform macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows support.

LiteIDE has fewer features than other IDEs, which may not be a problem for simpler projects. Its plugin ecosystem is smaller, too.

LiteIDE is ideal for developers looking for a minimalist approach or for managing small coding projects without significant complexity.

IntelliJ IDEA by JetBrains

IntelliJ IDEA is a general-purpose IDE that supports Go by installing a plugin. The plugin adds various features, including:

• Intelligent suggestions.
• Debugging, error-checking, refactoring, etc.
• Extensive environment customization.
• Git integration.
• Supports many programming languages beyond Go.

It’s a good choice for developers who work with multiple languages. The Community Edition is free but doesn’t include many of the useful advanced features that come with the paid version. It offers macOS, Linux, and Windows cross-platform support.

Edit for Success

Dedicated IDEs are crucial to most coding projects. However, text editors can be helpful for small tasks, quick edits, or as lightweight tools on older systems. Don’t be surprised to find that these text editors support extensive customization that virtually transforms them into full-fledged IDEs with little effort.

Vim or Neovim

Sometimes, the best tool is old traditional one. In this case, that’s Vim or one of its variations, such as Neovim. This text editor is terminal-based, lightweight, highly customizable, and fast. While common for Linux, it runs well on macOS.

If you add a few plugins, you can easily construct a robust Go code editor/IDE that features autocompletion, linting, syntax highlighting, debugging, and more. Vim’s learning curve is steeper than some other tools, but it is not really a major barrier. It’s great for experienced developers/administrators who are integrating coding with terminal-based dev workflows.

Figure 4: Even a basic Vim configuration is sufficient for basic Go coding.

Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a staple in today’s developer toolbox. It’s lightweight, open source, highly customizable, cross-platform, and supports a vast array of programming languages.

• The Go development team maintains an official VS Code extension.
• Many additional plugins and extensions are available to enable customization.
• Syntax highlighting, testing, and debugging capabilities.
• Git integration for version control.

Like many languages, VS Code requires some effort to configure for Go support (installing plugins and extensions), as it has no built-in advanced Go features.

Figure 5: Use VS Code for Go programming.

VS Code is an excellent choice for beginner and advanced developers needing a flexible, lightweight IDE that supports multiple languages. It’s likely that anyone who codes is already using it.

Wrap Up

Go is a great language for new developers, and it’s useful for experienced programmers branching out or expanding their careers. You’ll find it handy for cloud app development, server-side programs, automation tasks, and distributed computing.

Figure 6: Go is one of the more popular programming languages according to the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey.

Adding Go and its associated tools to your Mac is a straightforward process. In fact, you may have already completed many of the steps if you’re involved with Swift, Python, or other programming languages. Keep in mind that Apple’s own Xcode really doesn’t support Go. You can accomplish a few basic tasks using Xcode, but you’re better off with a Go-specific IDE.

Add Go to your Mac today and begin working with this excellent language!

Damon M. Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction, LLC, an IT writing and editing company. He authors articles, tutorials, and labs for today’s top IT industry leaders. He regularly contributes to The New Stack, TechTarget, and CompTIA. Damon has 20 years of...

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