Go install doesn't create any bin file

Question

My folder structure is correct, i can both run go install from inside the package folder and from anywhere in the system, adding the package (folder) name after install.

For example, my workspace is the following:

Go\   bin\   pkg\   src\     name\       file.go 

then, if i run

cd %GOPATH%\src\name go install 

or

go install name 

no errors are generated and my workspace becomes the following

Go\   bin\   pkg\     windows_amd64\ <-- new!       name.a       <-- new!   src\     name\       file.go 

Package files are correctly created, but bin files aren't.

My go env is the following:

C:\Users\...>go env set GOARCH=amd64 set GOBIN=C:\Users\myname\Documents\Go\bin set GOCHAR=6 set GOEXE=.exe set GOHOSTARCH=amd64 set GOHOSTOS=windows set GOOS=windows set GOPATH=C:\Users\myname\Documents\Go set GORACE= set GOROOT=C:\Go set GOTOOLDIR=C:\Go\pkg\tool\windows_amd64 set CC=gcc set GOGCCFLAGS=-m64 -mthreads -fmessage-length=0 set CXX=g++ set CGO_ENABLED=1 

Why is this the case? Am i missing something, doing something wrong? I want bin files to be created along with package files.

Answer 1

One reason could be the file.go isn't in package main.
See for instance "Your first program"

If it was, that would generate a executable in bin.

The article "How does the go build command work ?" does mention:

A Go command is a package who’s name is main.
Main packages, or commands, are compiled just like other packages, but then undergo several additional steps to be linked into final executable.