Go Version Manager

A simple, lightweight shell script to install and switch between multiple Go versions on Linux and macOS.

Installation

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/7e3b/shell-go-version-manager/main/gvm.sh
chmod +x gvm.sh
sudo cp gvm.sh /usr/local/bin/gvm

Add GVM's active Go version to your PATH:

Bash

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.gvm/current/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Zsh

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.gvm/current/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Usage

Install and activate a Go version:

gvm 1.24.4

If the version is already installed, GVM simply switches to it.

gvm 1.25.0

Switch back to a previously installed version:

gvm 1.24.4

Verify the active version:

go version

What it does

• Detects your operating system and CPU architecture
• Supports Linux and macOS
• Supports AMD64 and ARM64
• Downloads the requested Go version from go.dev
• Installs multiple Go versions side-by-side
• Automatically switches between installed versions
• Uses a symbolic link to manage the active version
• Stores Go versions in ~/.gvm
• Does not require sudo to install or switch Go versions
• Cleans up temporary files after installation

Directory Structure

GVM stores Go versions in your home directory:

~/.gvm/
├── versions/
│   ├── 1.24.4/
│   ├── 1.25.0/
│   └── 1.25.1/
└── current -> versions/1.25.1

The active Go installation is available through:

~/.gvm/current/bin/go

Requirements

• Linux or macOS
• bash
• curl or wget
• tar

No Go installation or sudo privileges are required.

Supported Platforms

Operating System	Architecture
Linux	AMD64
Linux	ARM64
macOS	AMD64
macOS	ARM64 (Apple Silicon)

Examples

gvm 1.24.4
gvm 1.23.6
gvm 1.21.12

Once installed, switching between versions is as simple as:

gvm 1.24.4
go version

gvm 1.25.0
go version

Troubleshooting

gvm: command not found

Make sure /usr/local/bin is in your PATH:

echo $PATH

Alternatively, invoke the script directly:

/usr/local/bin/gvm 1.24.4

go: command not found

Make sure GVM's active Go directory is in your PATH:

export PATH="$HOME/.gvm/current/bin:$PATH"

For Bash, add it to:

~/.bashrc

For Zsh, add it to:

~/.zshrc

Then reload your shell configuration.

Download failed

Make sure you have an active internet connection and that the requested Go version exists on go.dev.

Unsupported operating system or architecture

GVM currently supports:

• Linux AMD64
• Linux ARM64
• macOS AMD64
• macOS ARM64

License

See LICENSE.