Commands Reference

Complete reference for all govman commands and options.

Global Flags

These flags work with all commands:

--config string   # Config file path (default: ~/.govman/config.yaml)
--verbose         # Enable verbose output
--quiet           # Suppress all output except errors
--help, -h        # Show help
--version         # Show govman version

Commands

govman

Display help and version information.

govman            # Show banner and usage
govman --version  # Show version
govman --help     # Show help

###govman init

Initialize shell integration for automatic version switching.

govman init [flags]

Flags:

• --force, -f: Force re-initialization (overwrite existing configuration)
• --shell string: Target specific shell (bash, zsh, fish, powershell)

Examples:

govman init
govman init --force
govman init --shell zsh

What it does:

• Detects or uses specified shell
• Adds integration code to shell config file
• Sets up PATH and environment variables
• Enables automatic version switching

govman install

Install one or more Go versions.

govman install [version...] [flags]

Arguments:

• version: Go version to install (latest, 1.25.1, 1.25, etc.)
• Can install multiple versions: govman install 1.25.1 1.24.0

Examples:

govman install latest              # Latest stable
govman install 1.25.1              # Specific version
govman install 1.25                # Latest 1.25.x patch
govman install 1.25.1 1.24.0       # Multiple versions
govman install 1.25rc1             # Pre-release

Features:

• Lightning-fast parallel downloads with resume capability
• Automatic integrity verification and checksum validation
• Smart caching to avoid re-downloading
• Batch installation with progress tracking

govman uninstall

Remove one or more installed Go versions.

govman uninstall [version...] [flags]

Aliases: remove, rm

Arguments:

• version: Go version(s) to uninstall
• Can uninstall multiple versions: govman uninstall 1.24.1 1.24.2 1.24.3

Examples:

govman uninstall 1.24.0              # Single version
govman uninstall 1.24.1 1.24.2       # Multiple versions
govman remove 1.23.0
govman rm 1.22.0
govman rm 1.21.1 1.22.0 1.23.0       # Batch removal

Features:

• Batch uninstallation with progress tracking for each version
• Displays total disk space freed across all versions
• Continues processing remaining versions if one fails
• Comprehensive summary output showing successes and failures

Safety features:

• Prevents removal of currently active version
• Confirms version exists before removal
• Automatic recalculation of disk space

govman use

Switch to a specific Go version.

govman use <version> [flags]

Arguments:

• version: Go version to activate (1.25.1, latest, default)

Flags:

• --default, -d: Set as system-wide default (persistent)
• --local, -l: Set as project-local version (creates .govman-goversion)

Examples:

govman use 1.25.1                 # Session-only
govman use 1.25.1 --default       # System default
govman use 1.25.1 --local         # Project-specific
govman use latest                 # Use latest installed
govman use default                # Use system default

Activation modes:

• Session-only: Temporary, current terminal only
• System default: Permanent across all new sessions
• Project-local: Tied to specific directory

govman current

Display current Go version information.

govman current [flags]

Examples:

govman current

Output includes:

• Version number and release status
• Installation path and size
• Platform architecture details
• Installation date and source
• Activation method

Example output:

Current Go Environment:
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version:         Go 1.25.1
Install Path:    /home/user/.govman/versions/go1.25.1
Platform:        linux/amd64
Installed:       2025-01-15 14:30:45 MST
Disk Usage:      404 MB
Activation:      system-default
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Run 'go version' to verify your Go installation

govman list

List installed or available Go versions.

govman list [flags]

Aliases: ls

Flags:

• --remote, -r: List available versions from official releases
• --stable-only: Show only stable versions (remote only)
• --beta: Include beta/rc versions (remote only)
• --pattern string: Filter versions using glob patterns (remote only)

Examples:

govman list                        # Installed versions
govman list --remote               # Available stable versions
govman list --remote --beta        # Include pre-releases
govman list --remote --pattern "1.25*"  # Filter by pattern

Installed versions output:

Installed Go Versions (3 total):
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
→ Active %-25s     89 MB   installed: 2025-01-15
  Installed 1.24.0 [default]        103 MB  installed: 2024-12-01
  Installed 1.23.5                   98 MB  installed: 2024-11-10
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total disk usage: 290 MB across 3 versions
Currently active: Go 1.25.1

govman info

Display detailed information about a specific Go version.

govman info <version> [flags]

Arguments:

• version: Go version to query

Examples:

govman info 1.25.1

Output includes:

• Version number and status (installed/active)
• Platform architecture
• Complete installation path
• Installation date and age
• Disk usage
• Binary locations
• Suggested actions

govman clean

Clean download cache and optimize disk usage.

govman clean [flags]

Examples:

govman clean

What gets cleaned:

• Downloaded Go archive files (.tar.gz, .zip)
• Temporary extraction directories
• Incomplete or corrupted downloads
• Obsolete cache metadata

What's preserved:

• Installed Go versions
• Configuration files
• Project .govman-goversion files

govman selfupdate

Update govman to the latest version.

govman selfupdate [flags]

Flags:

• --check: Check for updates without installing
• --force: Force update even if already on latest
• --prerelease: Include pre-release versions

Examples:

govman selfupdate                  # Update to latest
govman selfupdate --check          # Check only
govman selfupdate --prerelease     # Include beta/rc
govman selfupdate --force          # Force reinstall

Features:

• Automatic platform detection
• Safe backup and rollback on failure
• Integrity verification
• Release notes display

govman refresh

Manually trigger version switching based on current directory.

govman refresh [flags]

Examples:

govman refresh

Purpose:

• Re-evaluate current directory for .govman-goversion
• Switch to appropriate version (local or default)
• Useful after adding/removing .govman-goversion files

Behavior:

• If .govman-goversion exists: switch to that version
• If no .govman-goversion: switch to default version
• Equivalent to auto-switch that happens on cd

Version Resolution

govman supports flexible version specifications:

Exit Codes

Environment Variables

govman respects these environment variables:

HTTP_PROXY        # HTTP proxy server
HTTPS_PROXY       # HTTPS proxy server
NO_PROXY          # Proxy bypass list
GOVMAN_CONFIG     # Custom config file path

Configuration File Commands

# View current config
cat ~/.govman/config.yaml

# Edit config
nano ~/.govman/config.yaml

# Reset to defaults
rm ~/.govman/config.yaml
govman --version  # Recreates with defaults

Shell Integration Commands

These are shell functions/aliases created by govman init:

govman_auto_switch           # Manually trigger auto-switch
type govman                  # Show wrapper function
type govman_auto_switch      # Show auto-switch function

Common Command Combinations

Install and Activate

govman install latest && govman use latest --default

List and Install Specific Version

govman list --remote --pattern "1.25*"
govman install 1.25.1
govman use 1.25.1 --default

View Then Remove Old Version

govman list
govman info 1.23.0
govman uninstall 1.23.0

Update All Components

govman selfupdate                    # Update govman
govman list --remote                 # Check for new Go versions
govman install 1.26.0                # Install new version
govman use 1.26.0 --default          # Activate it

Check Current Setup

govman current                       # Current version info
govman list                          # All installed versions
go version                           # Verify active version
go env                               # Full Go environment

Tips & Tricks

Quick Installation Workflow

# One-liner: install and activate latest
govman install latest && govman use latest --default && go version

Project Setup

# Set version for project
cd /path/to/project
govman use 1.25.1 --local
git add .govman-goversion
git  commit -m "Set Go version"

Batch Management

# Install multiple versions
govman install 1.25.1 1.24.0 1.23.5

# Uninstall multiple versions
govman uninstall 1.23.5 1.22.0 1.21.1

# List with status
govman list | grep -E "(Active|default)"

Cleanup Routine

# Free up disk space
govman list                              # See what's installed
govman uninstall 1.23.0 1.22.0 1.21.0    # Remove multiple old versions
govman clean                             # Clean download cache