Why Do Compiled Go Applications Still Need Runtime Support?

Golang's Compiled Nature and Runtime Support

Despite being a compiled language, Go applications still require runtime support. This article explores why this is the case and the implications for distributing Go binaries.

Compilation in Go

When a Go program is compiled, it is not directly translated into machine code. Instead, it is converted into an intermediate representation (IR) called the Go file format. The Go file format is designed to be portable across different architectures and platforms.

Need for Runtime Support

The Go runtime system is a collection of libraries and functions that are necessary for the execution of Go programs. These components include:

• Garbage collection for memory management
• Concurrency primitives
• Type checking
• Reflection

The Go file format does not include information about the runtime support that the program requires. Therefore, when executing a Go binary, the runtime system must be loaded into memory alongside the program. This ensures that the necessary functionality is available for the program to run correctly.

Distributing Go Binaries

Once a Go binary has been compiled, it can be distributed to machines with the same architecture. The recipient machine will need to have the Go runtime system installed in order to run the binary.

However, the go install command simplifies the process of distributing Go applications by bundling the necessary runtime support with the binary. This allows users to run a Go program with a simple command, such as go run program.name.

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