Home Arrow Icon Knowledge base Arrow Icon Global Arrow Icon Are there any tools to automate cross-compiling Go code for multiple OSes
    Go code cross-compilation go-crosscompile gox xgo goreleaser Makefile automation programming tools


Are there any tools to automate cross-compiling Go code for multiple OSes


Yes, there are several tools that can help automate the cross-compilation of Go code for multiple operating systems and architectures. Here are a few examples:

1. go-crosscompile:
- This is a helper script created by Dave Cheney that simplifies the cross-compilation process for Go.
- It provides a set of commands to build Go toolchains for various target platforms.
- You can find the repository here: https://github.com/davecheney/golang-crosscompile

2. gox:
- `gox` is a Go tool that can cross-compile Go programs for multiple platforms.
- It supports a wide range of operating systems and architectures, and can be easily integrated into your build process.
- You can install it using `go get github.com/mitchellh/gox`.

3. xgo:
- `xgo` is a Docker-based cross-compilation tool for Go.
- It handles the setup of the necessary cross-compilation toolchains and environments, making it easier to build binaries for various platforms.
- You can find the repository here: https://github.com/karalabe/xgo

4. goreleaser:
- `goreleaser` is a tool that helps you release Go projects to GitHub and other platforms.
- It includes cross-compilation capabilities, allowing you to build binaries for multiple operating systems and architectures.
- You can find the repository here: https://github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser

5. Makefile:
- You can also create a Makefile in your Go project to automate the cross-compilation process.
- The Makefile can use the `GOOS` and `GOARCH` environment variables to build binaries for different platforms.
- Here's an example Makefile:

makefile
   GOOS_TARGETS = linux darwin windows
   GOARCH_TARGETS = amd64 386 arm64

   all: $(foreach os,$(GOOS_TARGETS),$(foreach arch,$(GOARCH_TARGETS),build-$(os)-$(arch)))

   build-%:
   	GOOS=$(word 1,$(subst -, ,$*)) GOARCH=$(word 2,$(subst -, ,$*)) go build -o bin/$*/myapp
   

These tools can greatly simplify the process of cross-compiling Go code for multiple operating systems and architectures, making it easier to distribute your applications to a wider audience.

Citations:
[1] https://freshman.tech/snippets/go/cross-compile-go-programs/
[2] https://gist.github.com/steeve/6905542
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/golang/comments/13bfvqd/how_can_go_build_to_other_operating_systems/
[4] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12168873/cross-compile-go-on-osx
[5] https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/building-go-applications-for-different-operating-systems-and-architectures