Why Go binaries are so large (and what you can do about it) | Smart Go

The video discusses why GO program binaries are larger compared to languages like C. It demonstrates this with a Hello World program, explaining that GO binaries are statically linked and include the entire runtime and libraries. Methods to reduce binary size, such as removing debug information, are explored, but these have limitations and can affect features like Reflection. The video concludes that GO's design makes it difficult to significantly reduce binary size without losing important debug information.

Why are GO program binaries generally larger than those of languages like C?

• They use a different file format.

• They are standalone and statically linked.

• They are dynamically linked.

• They include unnecessary code.

What is one method to reduce the size of a GO executable?

• Use a different compiler.

• Remove debug information.

• Use a smaller runtime.

• Optimize the code manually.

What is a potential downside of removing debug information from a GO binary?

• It causes the binary to crash.

• It increases the runtime speed.

• It makes the binary incompatible with Linux.

• It can make some features not work.

How does the GO language's approach to building binaries differ from languages like C?

• GO binaries are always smaller.

• GO only supports release builds.

• GO combines debug and release builds.

• GO does not support release builds.

Why might detailed debug information be important for server applications?

• To ensure compatibility with other software.

• To improve performance.

• To provide insights into runtime behavior.

• To reduce the size of the binary.