How to use the command gox (with examples)

The command gox is a tool for cross-compiling Go programs. It allows you to compile Go programs for different operating systems and architecture combinations. It can be useful when you want to create binaries or distributions of your Go programs that can run on multiple platforms.

Use case 1: Compile Go program in the current directory for all operating systems and architecture combinations

Code:

gox

Motivation: You may want to compile your Go program for all possible operating systems and architecture combinations so that you can distribute it to users who are running different platforms. This will allow your program to be compatible with a wide range of systems without requiring users to compile it themselves.

Explanation: The command gox without any arguments will compile the Go program in the current directory for all operating systems and architecture combinations. It will automatically detect the operating system and architecture of the current machine and create separate binary executables for each supported combination.

Example output: The output of the gox command will be a directory containing the compiled binary executables for each operating system and architecture combination. For example, if you run gox on a Linux machine, the output might look like this:

.
├── myprogram_darwin_386
├── myprogram_darwin_amd64
├── myprogram_linux_386
├── myprogram_linux_amd64
├── myprogram_windows_386.exe
└── myprogram_windows_amd64.exe

Use case 2: Download and compile a Go program from a remote URL

Code:

gox url_1 url_2

Motivation: If your Go program is hosted on a remote URL, you can use the gox command to download the program and compile it for your specific requirements. This can be useful when you need to compile a program that is not available locally or when you want to compile a specific version or branch of a program.

Explanation: The gox command followed by one or more remote URLs will download the Go program from each URL and compile it for the current operating system and architecture combination. The downloaded program will be compiled using the same rules as the previous use case.

Example output: The output of the gox command will be the same as the previous use case, a directory containing the compiled binary executables for each operating system and architecture combination.

Use case 3: Compile current directory for a particular operating system

Code:

gox -os="os"

Motivation: Sometimes you may want to compile your Go program for a specific operating system only. This can be useful when you are targeting a particular platform or when you want to optimize your program for a specific environment.

Explanation: The -os argument followed by an operating system name specifies that you want to compile the current directory for the specified operating system only. The os parameter should be one of the supported operating system names, such as darwin for macOS, linux for Linux, or windows for Windows.

Example output: If you run the gox -os="linux" command on a macOS machine, the output will be a directory containing the compiled binary executable for Linux:

.
└── myprogram_linux_amd64

Use case 4: Compile current directory for a single operating system and architecture combination

Code:

gox -osarch="os/arch"

Motivation: In some cases, you may want to compile your Go program for a specific combination of operating system and architecture. This can be useful when you need to generate a binary executable for a target platform that is different from the current machine.

Explanation: The -osarch argument followed by an operating system and architecture combination specifies that you want to compile the current directory for the specified combination only. The os parameter should be one of the supported operating system names, and the arch parameter should be one of the supported architecture names, such as 386 for 32-bit or amd64 for 64-bit.

Example output: If you run the gox -osarch="linux/amd64" command on a macOS machine, the output will be a directory containing the compiled binary executable for Linux 64-bit:

.
└── myprogram_linux_amd64

Conclusion:

The gox command is a powerful tool for cross-compiling Go programs. It allows you to easily compile your Go programs for different operating systems and architecture combinations. By using different arguments, you can compile your program for all possible combinations, a specific operating system, or a specific combination of operating system and architecture. This flexibility makes it possible to distribute your Go programs to a wider audience and target specific platforms as needed.