How to set multiple workspaces (GOPATH)

A Go Workspace is how Go manages our source files, compiled binaries, and cached objects used for faster compilation later. It is typical, and also advised, to have only one Go Workspace, though it is possible to have multiple spaces. The GOPATH acts as the root folder of a workspace. ¹

Why multiple workspaces?

I’d like to install my global binaries into a central location. These programs are third-party CLIs that I want to use everywhere in my terminal as a consumer. I don’t develop these progams.

At the same time, I’d like to make sure that my GOPATH is correct for my actual projects that I’m working on.

Executables are installed in the directory named by the GOBIN environment variable, which defaults to $GOPATH/bin or $HOME/go/bin if the GOPATH environment variable is not set. ²

How to Set GOPATH?

Check the wiki for your operating system and shell.

For Unix, Fish shell:

set -x -U GOPATH $HOME/.go:$HOME/projects/go/workspace

This command sets an universal variable for both $HOME/.go and $HOME/projects/go/workspace.

Fish Shell: Add GOPATH folders to $fish_user_paths

Use fish_add_path to add more locations to fish’s $PATH.

To use the “global” Go binaries as well as your own workspace binaries:

fish_add_path $HOME/.go
fish_add_path $HOME/projects/go/workspace