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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

GVM

Ch 117.1of 51 Development Environment Managers
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Supported scopesingle language
  4. 4Project version pinningYes
  5. 5Lockfile supportYes
  6. 6Automatic switchingYes
  7. 7Shell integrationYes
  8. 8Operating systemscross platform
8 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: github.com
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The GVM homepage

Overview

GVM is ranked #11 of 51 in development environment managers on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS. There is a free plan.

GVM plans and pricing

All plans
gvm Free Go version management · MIT-licensed software github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on development environment managers

Free plan
Yesgithub.com
Supported scope
single_languagegithub.com
Project version pinning
Yesgithub.com
Lockfile support
Yesgithub.com
Automatic switching
Yesgithub.com
Shell integration
Yesgithub.com
Operating systems
cross_platformgithub.com
CI/CD usage
Yesgithub.com

Facts

Purpose
GVM provides an interface to manage Go versions.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Install versions
It installs and uninstalls Go versions by tag, including releases and the tip version.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
GOROOT changes
The `gvm diff` command lists added and removed files in GOROOT.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Package sets
It manages GOPATH package sets and can keep a package set local to a repository.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Available releases
The `gvm listall` command lists available release tags, with an option to include weekly builds.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Install options
Install options include choosing a source or name, installing protobufs or build tools, and preferring or requiring binaries.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Project linking
GVM can link project directories into GOPATH.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Native dependencies
GVM supports package set-specific native code and dependencies using an overlay prefix and related environment variables.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Platforms
The README provides requirements and setup instructions for macOS and Linux, and also lists FreeBSD requirements.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The installation instructions require Bison, and the platform-specific sections list additional tools such as Git, Mercurial, Make, and GCC.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
License
The repository includes an MIT license granting permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies of the software subject to its conditions.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Security
The GitHub security page opened for the repository displays no security details in the accessible page content.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Maintainer
The README says the project is lovingly maintained by Benjamin Knigge and welcomes contributions.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Limitations
The README says compiling Go 1.5 and later requires an existing Go installation for bootstrapping, and gives Go 1.4 as an example.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

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Sources