[TIL][Go] How to Install a Beta Version of Go

Source: Dev.to

Download the desired version

go get golang.org/dl/go1.13rc1   # replace with any version you need

This command places an installer binary (e.g., go1.13rc1) in your $GOBIN.

Fetch the actual Go toolchain

go1.13rc1 download

The toolchain is downloaded to a version‑specific directory, e.g.:

/Users/YOUR_NAME/sdk/go1.13rc1/

You can now invoke the beta version with go1.13rc1 (e.g., go1.13rc1 run main.go).

Installing multiple versions

The same approach works for any other Go release, which is handy for regression testing or benchmarking.

Example: install Go 1.11

go get golang.org/dl/go1.11
$GOBIN/go1.11 download

After the download completes, use go1.11 to run commands with that version.

Feel free to try out different releases using this method!