How to Install Multiple Go Versions Side by Side

Use the go install golang.org/dl/go<version>@latest command to install specific Go versions into your $GOPATH/bin directory, then switch between them using go<version> install or by running the binary directly.

# Install Go 1.21 and Go 1.22 side-by-side
go install golang.org/dl/go1.21@latest
go install golang.org/dl/go1.22@latest

# Use a specific version for a command
go1.21 version
go1.22 build ./...

This method installs each version as a separate executable (e.g., go1.21, go1.22) in your $GOPATH/bin, allowing you to run them simultaneously without overwriting your system Go installation.

Installing multiple Go versions side by side lets you keep different releases of the Go programming language on your computer simultaneously. Instead of replacing your current version, this method installs new ones as separate tools with unique names. It's like having different versions of a web browser installed; you can choose which one to use for each specific task without affecting the others.