Install troubleshooting

Use this page before micro new or micro agent demo when the CLI install is unclear. The goal is to prove three boundaries in order: the micro binary is on PATH, it is the version you expected, and the no-secret first-run path works without provider keys.

1. Choose one install path

Binary installer (no Go required to install)

curl -fsSL https://go-micro.dev/install.sh | sh

Use this when you want the released micro binary without building it yourself. The generated services still need a Go toolchain when you run micro run, but the installer itself does not require Go.

Go install (build from source)

go install go-micro.dev/v6/cmd/micro@latest

Use this when Go is already installed and you want the binary in your Go bin directory. If the command succeeds but micro is not found, your Go bin directory is probably not on PATH.

2. Verify PATH and version

Check which binary your shell will run:

command -v micro
micro --version

If command -v micro prints nothing, add the install directory to PATH, then open a new terminal and retry. Common locations are:

export PATH="$HOME/.micro/bin:$PATH"      # binary installer
export PATH="$(go env GOPATH)/bin:$PATH"  # go install

If micro --version shows an older binary than expected, remove the stale copy or put the intended install directory earlier in PATH.

3. Run the no-secret smoke path

Once micro resolves, prove the local service runtime before adding LLM provider keys:

micro new helloworld
cd helloworld
micro run

In another terminal:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/helloworld/Helloworld.Call \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"name":"World"}'

This checks the scaffold, local build, gateway, and service registration without calling a model provider.

4. Recover common failures

5. Continue the first-agent on-ramp

After install verification succeeds, continue in order:

1. micro agent demo — print the provider-free first-agent demo command and next docs steps.
2. No-secret first-agent transcript — prove an agent can use services without a provider key.
3. Your First Agent — build and chat with your own service-backed agent.
4. Debugging your agent — inspect registration, tool calls, run history, and provider failures.
5. 0→hero Reference — walk the full services → agents → workflows lifecycle.

For repository contributors, make install-smoke runs the same installer seam against a local build without network access.