Why Go Programs need runtime support

Question

It's said that Golang is the compiled language, but what does it mean by compiled? If golang application is compiled to machine code, why can't I just distribute the binary (of course on corresponding arch and platform) instead of go install stuff?

Transudation

You don't need go install and stuff to run a compiled go binary. – Cosimo

Answer 1

Once you compile a binary you can distribute it onto machines with the same architecture. go install, go run, etc. is just necessary for compilation.

Jann

Not just the same, but the target. I build on whatever machine I'm on and deploy on four or five different systems. – Samora

go install/run is not related to compiling. – Hah

@Erikw. go install compiles and installs, and is how you build a non-main package. go run compiles in a temp location, then executes the resulting binary. – Vermifuge

@Vermifuge Oh that's true. What I was thinking about is that install is not necessary for compilation; go build would suffice. Useless however since the compiled package would not be installed and thus deleted when $WORK is deleted after the completion of the command. – Hah

One of Go's unique features is that APIs are distributed as source code, not as .jar, .dll, .so or other binary packages. This is practicable because Go compiles so fast. At a stroke, it solves portability issues very simply, without resorting to needing a virtual machine (JVM etc). The (minor) downside is that producing closed-source APIs is tricky, to say the least. – Calves

@Rick-777, "distributing APIs" (for what it stands) without the source code might be implemented some time later. – Denton