#Go Publishing for Dummies

This is the Go twin of Cargo Publishing for Dummies. Same release shape, different tools.

I use this for CLIs like herdr-serve: one SemVer tag, GitHub Release binaries, Homebrew formula, optional NPM wrapper, and go install from the module path.

Go does not have crates.io. The package manager is the module proxy + git tags. That changes one piece of the Rust flow and leaves the rest intact.

#How This Differs from Cargo

The mental model stays the same:

1. One SemVer version.
2. One git tag: v[VERSION].
3. GitHub Actions builds native binaries and creates a GitHub Release.
4. Homebrew points at those binaries.
5. NPM downloads those binaries in postinstall.
6. go install ...@v[VERSION] builds from source (so embedded assets must be in git).

#Prerequisites

You need:

• A public GitHub repository for the CLI (mine are under Blankeos/)
• Go installed locally
• A GitHub account that can create releases
• Optional: an NPM account if you want npm i -g APP_NAME
• Optional: a Homebrew tap repo (mine is Blankeos/homebrew-tap)

Replace these placeholders everywhere below:

• APP_NAME — binary and package name (herdr-serve)
• ORG — GitHub owner (Blankeos)
• REPO — repository name (herdr-serve)
• MODULE — Go module path (github.com/Blankeos/herdr-serve)
• MAIN_PKG — main package (./cmd/herdr-serve)

#1. Make the Module Path Match GitHub

go install resolves the module path as a URL. If the repo is github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME, the module must be that too:

// go.mod
module github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME
 
go 1.25.0

Rewrite imports if you started with a different owner:

find . -name '*.go' -print0 | xargs -0 sed -i '' \
  's|github.com/OLD/APP_NAME|github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME|g'
sed -i '' 's|github.com/OLD/APP_NAME|github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME|' go.mod

#2. Own the Version in a VERSION File

Cargo has Cargo.toml. Go modules only care about the git tag, but you still need a single bump target for:

• the binary's version / --version string
• npm/package.json
• optional plugin manifests

Create:

0.1.0

Inject it at build time with -ldflags:

// cmd/APP_NAME/main.go
package main
 
import (
	"fmt"
	"runtime/debug"
	"strings"
)
 
// Set via: -ldflags "-X main.version=..."
var version = "dev"
 
func resolveVersion() string {
	if version != "dev" && version != "" {
		return version
	}
	if info, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo(); ok &&
		info.Main.Version != "" &&
		info.Main.Version != "(devel)" {
		return strings.TrimPrefix(info.Main.Version, "v")
	}
	return version
}
 
func main() {
	fmt.Printf("APP_NAME %s\n", resolveVersion())
}

Local build:

go build -ldflags "-X main.version=$(cat VERSION)" -o bin/APP_NAME ./cmd/APP_NAME

GoReleaser will set the same ldflag from the tag.

#3. Commit Embedded Assets (If You Embed a UI)

go:embed only sees files that exist in the module source. If web/dist is gitignored, go install builds a binary with an empty UI.

For herdr-serve I:

1. Stop ignoring web/dist
2. Rebuild UI inside tag_and_release.sh before the release commit
3. Still rebuild UI in GoReleaser's before.hooks for Release binaries

Prebuilt channels (Homebrew / NPM / install.sh) do not need source embeds — they download the Release binary. go install does.

#4. Add GoReleaser (GitHub Releases + Homebrew)

Create .goreleaser.yml:

version: 2
 
project_name: APP_NAME
 
before:
  hooks:
    - go mod tidy
    # If you embed a web UI:
    # - sh -c "cd web && npm ci && npm run build"
 
builds:
  - id: APP_NAME
    main: ./cmd/APP_NAME
    binary: APP_NAME
    env:
      - CGO_ENABLED=0
    goos:
      - linux
      - darwin
      - windows
    goarch:
      - amd64
      - arm64
    ignore:
      - goos: windows
        goarch: arm64
    ldflags:
      - -s -w -X main.version={{.Version}}
 
archives:
  - id: default
    formats: ["tar.xz"]
    format_overrides:
      - goos: windows
        formats: ["zip"]
    # Match cargo-dist / npm install.js target triples
    name_template: '{{ .ProjectName }}-{{ if eq .Arch "amd64" }}x86_64{{ else if eq .Arch "arm64" }}aarch64{{ else }}{{ .Arch }}{{ end }}-{{ if eq .Os "darwin" }}apple-darwin{{ else if eq .Os "linux" }}unknown-linux-gnu{{ else if eq .Os "windows" }}pc-windows-msvc{{ else }}{{ .Os }}{{ end }}'
 
checksum:
  name_template: sha256.sum
  algorithm: sha256
 
changelog:
  disable: true
 
release:
  draft: false
  replace_existing_draft: true
  name_template: "v{{.Version}}"
 
brews:
  - repository:
      owner: Blankeos
      name: homebrew-tap
      token: "{{ .Env.HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN }}"
    directory: Formula
    homepage: "https://github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME"
    description: "YOUR SHORT DESCRIPTION"
    license: "MIT"
    install: |
      bin.install "APP_NAME"
    test: |
      system "#{bin}/APP_NAME", "version"

Asset names look like cargo-dist on purpose:

APP_NAME-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.xz
APP_NAME-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.xz
APP_NAME-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz
APP_NAME-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz
APP_NAME-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip

That lets the same npm/install.js pattern work for Rust and Go CLIs.

#Release workflow

.github/workflows/release.yml:

name: Release
 
on:
  push:
    tags:
      - "v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+*"
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      tag:
        description: Existing tag to (re)release (for example, v0.1.0)
        required: true
        type: string
 
permissions:
  contents: write
 
jobs:
  goreleaser:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
          ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref_name || inputs.tag }}
 
      - name: Setup Go
        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
        with:
          go-version-file: go.mod
 
      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: "22"
          cache: npm
          cache-dependency-path: web/package-lock.json
 
      - name: Run GoReleaser
        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v6
        with:
          distribution: goreleaser
          version: "~> v2"
          args: release --clean
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN }}

Create a classic PAT (or fine-grained token) with push access to Blankeos/homebrew-tap, then add it as the repo secret HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN.

#5. Add the NPM Wrapper (Optional but Nice)

Same shape as Crabcode / lazygitrs:

npm/
  package.json
  bin.js
  install.js
  README.md

npm/package.json:

{
  "name": "APP_NAME",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "bin": { "APP_NAME": "./bin.js" },
  "scripts": { "postinstall": "node install.js" },
  "files": ["bin.js", "install.js", "README.md"]
}

install.js downloads:

https://github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME/releases/download/v${VERSION}/APP_NAME-${target}.tar.xz

Keep npm/package.json version identical to VERSION. The publish workflow asserts that.

#Publish registries workflow (NPM only)

Unlike Cargo, there is no crates.io job. .github/workflows/publish-registries.yml:

1. Verify tag ↔ VERSION ↔ npm/package.json
2. Wait until GoReleaser uploaded the expected archives
3. npm publish --access public --provenance with Trusted Publishing (id-token: write)

Configure Trusted Publishing on npmjs.com for:

• Repository: Blankeos/APP_NAME
• Workflow: publish-registries.yml
• Environment: leave empty unless you add one

#6. Add install.sh (curl | sh)

For users without Homebrew / Node / Go:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME/main/install.sh | sh

It resolves the latest GitHub Release, picks the host triple, and installs into /usr/local/bin (or $INSTALL_DIR).

#7. Wire just tag

Install helpers:

brew install just git-cliff goreleaser

justfile recipe:

tag:
  ./tag_and_release.sh

tag_and_release.sh should:

1. Refuse a dirty tree or a non-main branch or a non-main branch
2. Ask patch / minor / major
3. Bump VERSION, npm/package.json, and any plugin manifests
4. Rebuild embedded UI (if any)
5. Regenerate CHANGELOG.md with git cliff
6. Commit release: APP_NAME v[VERSION]
7. Tag v[VERSION] and push commit + tag

That tag triggers both workflows.

#8. Cut a Release

go test ./...
# optional local smoke:
goreleaser release --snapshot --clean
 
just tag

Then verify:

# GitHub Release assets exist
gh release view v0.1.0 --repo Blankeos/APP_NAME
 
# go install (source + embed)
go install github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME/cmd/[email protected]
APP_NAME version
 
# Homebrew
brew install blankeos/tap/APP_NAME
 
# NPM
npm install -g APP_NAME

#Common Problems

#Tag and VERSION disagree

If the tag is v1.2.3, VERSION and npm/package.json must be 1.2.3. Fix before pushing the tag.

#go install serves an empty UI

You forgot to commit web/dist (or whatever you go:embed). Prebuilt installs still work; source installs do not.

#NPM publishes before binaries exist

Keep the wait-for-assets job. Without it, postinstall 404s on fresh tags.

#Homebrew formula did not update

Check HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN, tap repo permissions, and the GoReleaser brews: block. The formula PR/commit lands in Blankeos/homebrew-tap, not in the CLI repo.

#Module path ≠ GitHub URL

go install github.com/Blankeos/APP_NAME/... fails if go.mod still says github.com/someone-else/APP_NAME.

#The Final Workflow

1. Commit normal work; keep the tree clean.
2. Run tests (and optionally goreleaser release --snapshot).
3. Run just tag and choose the SemVer bump.
4. Script bumps VERSION + npm, rebuilds embeds, commits, tags, pushes.
5. release.yml → GoReleaser → GitHub Release + Homebrew tap.
6. publish-registries.yml waits for archives → publishes NPM.
7. Users install via brew / npm / go install / install.sh.

Remember: the git tag is the Go registry. VERSION is just the human-editable twin of Cargo.toml's version, so every other channel stays aligned.