go install shows permission denied

1. Avoid Using sudo with go install:
   • Do not use sudo with go install. Once you use sudo, it changes the permissions of associated folders, which can lead to permission issues.
   • Instead of using sudo, try the following steps.
2. Check Permissions:
   • First, ensure that the relevant directories have the correct permissions.
   • The error message you’re encountering (go install cmd/go: copying /var/folders/.../go-build.../exe/a.out: open /usr/local/go/bin/go: permission denied) suggests that either:
     • The <PATH_TO>/cmd directory is not writable.
     • The $GOPATH/pkg/cmd/go directory is not readable for your user.
   • You can check the permissions using the ls -lah <PATH_TO>/cmd command.
3. Possible Solutions:
   • Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:
     • If <PATH_TO>/cmd is writable, use sudo temporarily to install, and then change the ownership back to your user using chown.
     • Consider creating the project inside your $GOPATH instead of outside it.
     • Verify that the GOBIN environment variable is correctly set. It should not need to be set for package-level go install as long as GOPATH is set.
     • If you’re using Go modules, ensure that your project structure adheres to the module guidelines.
     • If you’re using govendor or go mod, make sure the project is within your GOPATH.
4. Root User Permissions:
   • Keep in mind that the root user account always has full permissions on any file, regardless of what has been configured1.
   • Avoid using sudo unless absolutely necessary.

dos2unix said:

From CoPilot.

When you encounter a “permission denied” error while using go install, it can be frustrating. Let’s troubleshoot this issue and find a solution:

1. Avoid Using sudo with go install:
   • Do not use sudo with go install. Once you use sudo, it changes the permissions of associated folders, which can lead to permission issues.
   • Instead of using sudo, try the following steps.
2. Check Permissions:
   • First, ensure that the relevant directories have the correct permissions.
   • The error message you’re encountering (go install cmd/go: copying /var/folders/.../go-build.../exe/a.out: open /usr/local/go/bin/go: permission denied) suggests that either:
     • The <PATH_TO>/cmd directory is not writable.
     • The $GOPATH/pkg/cmd/go directory is not readable for your user.
   • You can check the permissions using the ls -lah <PATH_TO>/cmd command.
3. Possible Solutions:
   • Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:
     • If <PATH_TO>/cmd is writable, use sudo temporarily to install, and then change the ownership back to your user using chown.
     • Consider creating the project inside your $GOPATH instead of outside it.
     • Verify that the GOBIN environment variable is correctly set. It should not need to be set for package-level go install as long as GOPATH is set.
     • If you’re using Go modules, ensure that your project structure adheres to the module guidelines.
     • If you’re using govendor or go mod, make sure the project is within your GOPATH.
4. Root User Permissions:
   • Keep in mind that the root user account always has full permissions on any file, regardless of what has been configured1.
   • Avoid using sudo unless absolutely necessary.

Remember, it’s essential to maintain proper permissions to avoid security risks. Troubleshoot step by step, and you’ll likely find a solution without needing to rely on sudo.

In some Linux distro's, using the vendor supplied plugins are preferable to using the golang-github plugins because all permissions are not equal for all plugins as the vendor has no control over github.

It seems that if you've ever used sudo, even one time to install a golang plugin, your permissions are probably non-standard.

Click to expand...

pegasus@pegasus:~$ go env
GO111MODULE=""
GOARCH="amd64"
GOBIN=""
GOCACHE="/home/pegasus/.cache/go-build"
GOENV="/home/pegasus/.config/go/env"
GOEXE=""
GOEXPERIMENT=""
GOFLAGS=""
GOHOSTARCH="amd64"
GOHOSTOS="linux"
GOINSECURE=""
GOMODCACHE="/home/pegasus/go/pkg/mod"
GONOPROXY=""
GONOSUMDB=""
GOOS="linux"
GOPATH="/home/pegasus/go"
GOPRIVATE=""
GOPROXY="https://proxy.golang.org,direct"
GOROOT="/usr/lib/go-1.20"
GOSUMDB="sum.golang.org"
GOTMPDIR=""
GOTOOLDIR="/usr/lib/go-1.20/pkg/tool/linux_amd64"
GOVCS=""
GOVERSION="go1.20.3"
GCCGO="gccgo"
GOAMD64="v1"
AR="ar"
CC="gcc"
CXX="g++"
CGO_ENABLED="1"
GOMOD="/dev/null"
GOWORK=""
CGO_CFLAGS="-O2 -g"
CGO_CPPFLAGS=""
CGO_CXXFLAGS="-O2 -g"
CGO_FFLAGS="-O2 -g"
CGO_LDFLAGS="-O2 -g"
PKG_CONFIG="pkg-config"
GOGCCFLAGS="-fPIC -m64 -pthread -Wl,--no-gc-sections -fmessage-length=0 -fdebug-prefix-map=/tmp/go-build917789205=/tmp/go-build -gno-record-gcc-switches"

pegasus@pegasus:~$ go env GOPATH
/home/pegasus/go

pegasus@pegasus:~$ which go
/usr/local/bin/go
pegasus@pegasus:~$ whereis go
go: /usr/bin/go /usr/lib/go /usr/local/bin/go /usr/local/go /usr/share/go /home/pegasus/go/bin/go /usr/share/man/man1/go.1.gz

NobinPegasus said:

I'm new to Go. How can I find cmd? what is the <PATH_TO> here?

Click to expand...

echo $PATH