---
title: "Go"
category: "Languages and runtimes"
tagline: "Google's simple, fast compiled language, popular for servers and command-line tools."
source: "pacman"
package: "go"
command: "go"
website: "https://go.dev/"
code: "https://github.com/golang/go"
links:
  - name: "A Tour of Go"
    url: "https://go.dev/tour/"
---

## What it is

Go is a programming language created at Google. It compiles quickly to a single binary with no dependencies, has concurrency built into the language, and comes with its own tools for building, testing, formatting and managing modules. Docker, Kubernetes, Hugo and many command-line tools are written in it.

## Why it's here

- **Small and readable.** A short language specification and one standard formatting style.
- **One binary.** Programs build into a single file you can copy anywhere.
- **Everything in one command.** `go build`, `go test`, `go fmt` and `go get` come with it.

## On CoreDesktop

Go is installed from pacman. Downloaded modules go in `~/go/pkg/mod`. CoreDesktop's backups leave that folder out, since it can be downloaded again, and the AI agents in the [AI sandbox](/ai-sandbox/) can write to it and reach the Go module proxy. `update` keeps Go current with the rest of the pacman packages.

```
go run .
```