tinygo

Go compiler for microcontrollers, WebAssembly, and small binaries

TLDR

Flash a blink example to an Arduino Uno

$ tinygo flash -target [arduino-uno] examples/blinky1

Build a WASI WebAssembly module

$ tinygo build -o [out.wasm] -target=wasip1 [program.go]

Build for a specific board target

$ tinygo build -o [firmware.elf] -target [board] [main.go]

List information about the compiler

$ tinygo version

Run tests for the current package (host or target)

$ tinygo test

SYNOPSIS

tinygo *command* [*options*] [*packages*]

tinygo is a Go compiler based on LLVM aimed at small places: microcontrollers, WebAssembly (WASM/WASI), and compact command-line programs. It supports a large subset of Go with a focus on small binary size and good CGo interoperability, rather than matching the full performance profile of the standard gc toolchain for highly concurrent server workloads.Common workflows use tinygo flash to compile and write firmware to a board, tinygo build to produce binaries or .wasm modules, and board-specific -target values (150+ boards). Programs can also be built for Linux, macOS, and Windows with TinyGo's OS targets.

PARAMETERS

flash

Compile and flash a program to a connected microcontroller.

build

Compile a package to a binary, library, or WebAssembly module.

run

Compile and run on the host or target as supported.

test

Run package tests.

version

Print TinyGo and LLVM version information.

targets

List or inspect available targets (see upstream docs for full list).

-target *name*

Compilation target (board name, wasip1, wasm, OS targets, etc.).

-o *file*

Output path.

-buildmode *mode*

Build mode (e.g. c-shared for WASM libraries).

-size *level*

Size reporting / optimization related options (see tinygo help).

-opt *level*

Optimization level.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install tinygo

sudo pacman -S tinygo

sudo zypper install tinygo

nix profile install nixpkgs#tinygo

CAVEATS

Not every Go program or standard-library package is supported; see TinyGo language support docs. Toolchain setup (compiler, libraries, board toolchains) varies by platform—follow https://tinygo.org/getting-started/. Binary size and performance trade-offs differ from the standard Go compiler.

RESOURCES

Source code · Homepage · Documentation