InstallTroubleshooting: update environment variable section
Clarify GOROOT vs. GOPATH.
Otherwise don't recommend setting any environment variables.
Change-Id: I3234a9244edaf8407b5eb26559ac73a0711b3543
Reviewed-on: https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/wiki/+/623795
Commit-Queue: Ian Lance Taylor <iant@golang.org>
Reviewed-by: Ian Lance Taylor <iant@golang.org>
Auto-Submit: Ian Lance Taylor <iant@golang.org>
diff --git a/InstallTroubleshooting.md b/InstallTroubleshooting.md
index bc58480..b095460 100644
--- a/InstallTroubleshooting.md
+++ b/InstallTroubleshooting.md
@@ -15,33 +15,36 @@
* [Still need help?](#still-need-help)
## Tips
-### Environment
+### Environment variables
-To start out with, check the following first:
- * GOROOT
- * This should _only_ be set if you used a binary distribution and it's not installed in the default location.
- * [GOPATH](https://pkg.go.dev/cmd/go#GOPATH_environment_variable)
- * This should be set to the directory under which you want your source (and third party packages).
- * This can also be set to a list of absolute paths separated by : (or ; on Windows).
- * Note that ~/some/path is not absolute and will probably not work the way you expect (try $HOME/some/path instead).
- * GOPATH should not be set to or contain GOROOT
- * GOBIN
- * This should only be set if you _really_ know what you're doing... The default should be fine.
- * GOOS, GOARCH, GOHOSTOS, GOHOSTARCH
- * You shouldn't need to set these in normal cases.
+There are several environment variables that can be set to configure
+your Go installation: see https://pkg.go.dev/cmd/go#hdr-Environment_variables.
-Under linux and darwin, make sure that any of the above variables which are set are actually exported. When you run the ` env | grep GO ` command, they should be listed. You can also check your environment with the ` go env ` command. In bash, this is done with the ` export GOPATH ` (if it's already set) or ` export GOPATH=/path/to/gopath ` command (similarly for the other variables), usually in your .bashrc or .bash\_profile.
+Normally none of them need to be set.
-### GOROOT vs GOPATH
-Packages under GOROOT store their source files in
+That said, the default for `GOROOT` is the root of your Go
+installation.
+The default for `GOPATH` is the directory named "go" in your home
+directory.
+The `GOPATH` directory should not be set to, or contain, the `GOROOT`
+directory.
-` $GOROOT/src/pkg/import/path/*.go `
+If you have installed Go in the "go" directory in your home directory,
+running the go tool will print a warning.
+You should either move the Go installation, or set the `GOPATH`
+environment variable to some other directory.
-Notice that this is ` src/pkg `; under GOPATH, source files are stored in
+For example, on a Unix system:
-` $GOPATH/src/import/path/*.go `
-
-Because of this inconsistency, it is generally not recommended that GOPATH be set to or contain GOROOT; its directories will be searched automatically for imports regardless of the GOPATH setting.
+```
+> go run hello.go
+warning: GOPATH set to GOROOT (/home/username/go) has no effect
+Hello, world
+> GOPATH=/home/username/gopath
+> export GOPATH
+> go run hello.go
+Hello, world
+```
## Troubleshooting
##### The ` go build ` command doesn't do anything!
