How to Use go env to View and Set Environment Variables

Use go env to list all Go environment variables or go env VARNAME to view a specific one; set variables by exporting them in your shell or using go env -w VARNAME=value for persistent changes.

# View all variables
go env

# View a specific variable
go env GOPATH

# Set a variable persistently (survives restarts)
go env -w GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org,direct

# Set a variable for the current session only
export GOPATH=/home/user/go

The go env command reads from your shell environment, the GOENV file, and defaults defined in the Go toolchain. Changes made with go env -w are stored in $GOENV (typically ~/.config/go/env on Linux/macOS or %APPDATA%\go\env on Windows).

The go env command shows the settings Go uses to build and run your code, like where it stores downloaded packages or which compiler to use. You can check these settings to debug build issues or change them to customize your development environment. Think of it like checking the configuration file for your Go installation.