Easiest Way to Install Golang on Linux: Snap or Manual Source?

Learning Golang recently opened up new perspectives for me in software development. One of the best ways to solidify your understanding is by teaching others. That’s why in this article, I’m sharing my experience installing Go on Linux—using both Snap and manual source installation.

Writing this guide not only helps others get started, but also helps reinforce the steps in my own memory.

Installing Golang Using Snap

Snap is a universal package manager developed by Canonical (Ubuntu’s creator). It simplifies app installation by bundling dependencies, ensuring compatibility across most Linux distributions.

Ensure Snap is Installed
On many modern Linux distros, Snap is pre-installed. If not, you can install it via terminal:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd
```
Install Go via Snap
```
sudo snap install go --classic
```
Verify the Installation
```
go version
```

That’s it! You’ve successfully installed Go using Snap.

🛠️ Installing Golang from Official Source

If you want more control over your Go installation or prefer not to use Snap, manual installation is the way to go.

Download the Official Go Tarball
Visit the official Go downloads page and download the latest version. Example:
```
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.16.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz
```

Extract the Archive to /usr/local

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.16.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Update Your PATH
Add Go’s binary path to your environment variable:
```
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
```
Add that line to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc, then apply:
```
source ~/.bashrc
```
Verify the Installation
```
go version
```

Snap vs Manual Installation – Which One is Better?

Method	Pros	Cons
Snap	Quick, easy, auto-updates	Slightly slower start-up time
Source	Full control, latest versions	Manual setup & maintenance

Conclusion

Whether you choose Snap or manual installation, both methods are solid and effective. Snap is faster for beginners, while manual installation is great for advanced users or multi-version management.

Now that Go is installed, you’re ready to build high-performance APIs, CLI tools, or even web servers. Happy coding with Golang!

BUANACODING