How to Uninstall Golang from Windows, macOS, and Linux

Key Takeaways

1. Uninstalling Go requires deleting the main Go installation directory.
2. Environment variables like GOROOT and GOPATH should be removed for a clean uninstall.
3. Shell configuration files may need manual editing to remove Go-related paths.

Go, also known as Golang, is a popular programming language developed by Google. If you no longer need Go on your system or want to perform a clean reinstall, you may need to uninstall it. This guide explains how to completely remove Go from your system, covering Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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Uninstalling Go on Windows

1. Open Control Panel
   Go to the Start menu, search for Control Panel, and open it.

2. Uninstall a Program
   Click on “Programs” > “Programs and Features”, then locate Go Programming Language in the list.

3. Remove Go
   Select it and click Uninstall. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation.

4. Delete Environment Variables (Optional)

   • Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and hit Enter.
   • Go to the Advanced tab and click Environment Variables.
   • Remove any entries related to GOROOT or GOPATH if they exist.

5. Clean Up Remaining Files
   Delete the Go installation directory, usually located at:

   C:\Go
   

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Uninstalling Go on macOS

1. Remove Go Binary and Files
   If you installed Go using the official installer or manually, remove the following:

   sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

2. Remove Go Workspace (Optional)
   If you set a GOPATH, delete it as needed. For example:

   rm -rf ~/go

3. Edit Shell Profile (Optional)
   Open your shell profile file (like ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile) and remove any lines like:

   export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
   export GOPATH=$HOME/go

   Save the file and reload it:

   source ~/.zshrc  # or source ~/.bash_profile

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Uninstalling Go on Linux

1. Delete Go Installation Directory
   If you installed Go manually, it’s typically located at /usr/local/go. Remove it:

   sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

2. Remove Go Workspace (Optional)
   If you set a workspace, remove it:

   rm -rf ~/go

3. Clean Up Shell Configuration
   Edit your shell configuration file (like ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) and remove Go-related environment variables.

4. Apply Changes
   Reload the configuration:

   source ~/.bashrc

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Verifying Go is Uninstalled

After following the above steps, verify that Go has been removed by running:

go version

If Go is uninstalled successfully, you should see a message like command not found.

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Conclusion

Uninstalling Go is a straightforward process, but to completely remove it, you should also clean up environment variables and leftover workspace files. Whether you're switching versions or moving on from Go, these steps ensure a clean removal.

FAQs

Does uninstalling Go also delete my Go projects?

No, your projects (typically in ~/go) are not removed unless you delete them manually.

How can I check if Go has been fully uninstalled?

Run go version. If Go is removed, you’ll see a “command not found” message.

I installed Go with Homebrew. How do I uninstall it?

Run brew uninstall go and clean up any custom paths in your shell profile.

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