Use the go get subcommand and pass a URL without protocol.

URL

The URL should point to directory containing a main.go file.

This also works if there is a single Go file of another name e.g. cmd/staticcheck/staticcheck.go.

Install package from root directory

Point a repo with main.go at the root.

$ go get REPO_URL

Here using MichaelCurrin/go-project-template.

$ go get github.com/MichaelCurrin/go-project-template

Run the command which now exists in GOBIN.

$ go-project-template -h

Install target version

$ go get URL@TAG
$ go install URL@TAG

Note this doesn’t not work in the repo root as you’ll get an error.

Here using staticcheck.go.

$ go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@v0.2.0

$ go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@v0.2.0
$ staticcheck --version
staticcheck 2021.1 (v0.2.0)

$ go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@v0.2.1
$ staticcheck --version
staticcheck 2021.1.1 (v0.2.1)

In a module, you can omit the version.

$ cd my-go-repo
$ go get honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck

But you’ll get an error outside a module if you use install.

$ cd ~
$ go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck
go install: version is required when current directory is not in a module
	Try 'go install honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck@latest' to install the latest version

But no issue if you use get.

$ cd ~
$ go get honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck

Install package from a subdirectory

$ go get REPO_URL/APP_PATH

Typically, the package will bee on GitHub repo URL and include a path to a package in the cmd directory.

Examples

Generic example

Give script cmd/myapp/main.go in MichaelCurrin/my-app.

$ go get github.com/MichaelCurrin/my-app/cmd/myapp

If GOBIN is in your PATH, you can run the CLI tool from anywhere:

$ myapp -h

ESBuild example

Download the ESBuild CLI package.

$ go get github.com/evanw/esbuild/cmd/esbuild

Check that it is accessible.

$ type esbuild
esbuild is /Users/mcurrin/go/bin/esbuild

Run it:

$ esbuild -h
...

Custom domain

$ go get honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck

Upgrade

You can’t use an upgrade flag with install, but you can use the flag with get as below.

$ go get -u URL

e.g.

$ go get -u github.com/MichaelCurrin/go-project-template/cmd/myapp    

go: github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 upgrade => v2.0.0
go: github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 upgrade => v2.1.0

Check installed packages

Show names in GOBIN, sorted by most recently updated.

$ ls -1 -t ~/go/bin

go-project-template
...
gopls
golint
goreturns
...