Setup #Eclipse as #go IDE in Linux

By | August 28, 2017

I like Eclipse and I used it for many years on Linux for Java developement. I wanted to test how go(golang) works but I did not like all the suggested IDEs, you know the “cool” ones.
I wanted to be able to use Eclipse. By default eclipse is not go oriented but with some small changes is the perfect development environment for go.

STEP 1: Install go (golang)

On Fedora Linux just do:

dnf install golang 

STEP 2: Install Eclipse plugin “goclipse”

There is a nice plugin that adds go support to Eclipse. You just have to add as a new plugin source “http://goclipse.github.io/releases” and select from available software GoClipse

STEP 3: Install go tools

There are several nice go tools that are supported by GoClipse and very useful.

Gocode: An auto completion daemon for the Go programming language

$go get -u github.com/nsf/gocode

Godef: prints the source location of definitions in Go programs.

$go get -u github.com/rogpeppe/godef

Guru: A tool for answering questions about Go source code.

$go get -u  golang.org/x/tools/cmd/guru

– add to gopath your home go directory (:/home/gvoina/go)
– set installation directory where go is installed (/usr)

STEP 4: Set gopath and go installation in Eclipse

STEP 5: Set go tools in Eclipse

Set the path of the above go tools in Window->Preferences->Go->Tools

STEP 6: Create a new go Project

Now a new option is available File->New->Go Project
As a result a new go project together with a hierarchy of directories and a specific go view are created.

STEP 7: Create a test application

Under src create a directory for your first go program and a test go file:


STEP 8: Create a run configuration

Create a run configuration for the test go program. Make sure to add the package containing the main function to “Go package to build”

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