Building from source an Ethereum node under Ubuntu 16 LTS

The program, which makes an Ethereum node in your computer, is called

geth

. “geth” is written using the GO language and the latest version depends on GO version 1.7+. Ubuntu 16 LTS has GO language package version 1.6 so to build it from source we need first to install a proper version of GO Language.

STEP 1) Install a proper version of GO Language 1.7+

In our tutorial you will install 1.9 using this howto: “Install GO language in Ubuntu 16 LTS from the official site package”

STEP 2) Update your system and install dependencies

sudo apt-get update -y
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libgmp3-dev git

STEP 3) Get the “geth” code and compile it

git clone https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
cd go-ethereum
make geth

STEP 4) Check is everything is OK, installed geth version 1.8.2-unstable

srv@local:~/go-ethereum$ cd ./build/bin
srv@local:~/go-ethereum/build/bin$ ./geth version
Geth
Version: 1.8.2-unstable
Git Commit: b574b5776695eb30e034fd8c7a468b3f03d4c6b9
Architecture: amd64
Protocol Versions: [63 62]
Network Id: 1
Go Version: go1.9.4
Operating System: linux
GOPATH=
GOROOT=/usr/local/go

* Next tutorial is getting the node up and running here!

* Troubleshooting

if you get
```
~/go-ethereum$ make geth
build/env.sh go run build/ci.go install ./cmd/geth
build/env.sh: 30: exec: go: not found
Makefile:15: recipe for target 'geth' failed
make: *** [geth] Error 127
```
You did not install properly go, check our manual here: “Install GO language in Ubuntu 16 LTS from the official site package”. Check whether you source /etc/profile in your current ssh/console/login session, check if you exported the PATH, your PATH must include “your_goinstallation_path/bin”, it’s like “/usr/local/go”.
if you get
```
~/go-ethereum$ make geth
build/env.sh go run build/ci.go install ./cmd/geth
ci.go:190: You have Go version go1.6.2
ci.go:191: go-ethereum requires at least Go version 1.7 and cannot
ci.go:192: be compiled with an earlier version. Please upgrade your Go installation.
exit status 1
Makefile:15: recipe for target 'geth' failed
make: *** [geth] Error 1
```
The installation just uses the default installed GO language of your system, which is 1.6 and is not supported by the “geth” Ethereum program. There are two options:
- Uninstall the old version with your packet manager apt-get
```
sudo apt-get purge -y golang*
```
  And install GO version 1.9 from our how to “Install GO language in Ubuntu 16 LTS from the official site package” if you have not installed it yet.
- If you like to have the 1.6 as default and use 1.9 (from our “Install GO language in Ubuntu 16 LTS from the official site package” whenever you need it you have to set the proper path every time you would like to use it (the GO version 1.9 is ):
```
ubuntu@srv.local:~$ export PATH="/usr/local/go/bin:$PATH"
ubuntu@srv.local:~$ go version
go version go1.9.4 linux/amd64
```

When we talk for crypto currency the best source is always the GIT version (probably the best one is the stable tag, but it is safe to use the unstable, too), it is most secure source you could get. Do not download from 3rd party sites or unofficial repositories, you could lose your money.

* Here is the building output

srv@local:~/go-ethereum$ make geth
build/env.sh go run build/ci.go install ./cmd/geth
>>> /usr/local/go/bin/go install -ldflags -X main.gitCommit=b574b5776695eb30e034fd8c7a468b3f03d4c6b9 -v ./cmd/geth
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/sha3
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/math
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/go-stack/stack
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/util
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/comparer
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/storage
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/secp256k1
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/golang/snappy
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/karalabe/cookiejar.v2/collections/prque
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/cache
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/filter
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/aristanetworks/goarista/monotime
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/mclock
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/event
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/randentropy
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/pborman/uuid
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/opt
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/sys/unix
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/crypto/pbkdf2
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/crypto/scrypt
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/fatih/set.v0
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/internal/browser
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/metrics
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/errors
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/fdlimit
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/iterator
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/journal
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/simplelru
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/net/context
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/net/websocket
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/edsrzf/mmap-go
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/bitutil
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/rs/xhandler
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/memdb
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/table
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/bn256
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/rs/cors
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/crypto/ripemd160
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/httpu
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/scpd
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/soap
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/ssdp
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/rjeczalik/notify
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/elastic/gosigar
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/net/html/atom
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/net/html
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/internal/identifier
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/transform
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/internal/utf8internal
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/internal/tag
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/language
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/runes
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/internal
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/charmap
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/japanese
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/korean
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/simplifiedchinese
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/traditionalchinese
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/unicode
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/jackpal/go-nat-pmp
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/netutil
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/tracers/internal/tracers
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/golang/protobuf/proto
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/karalabe/hid
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log/term
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/metrics/exp
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/mattn/go-colorable
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/prometheus/prometheus/util/flock
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/text/encoding/htmlindex
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/les/flowcontrol
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/sync/syncmap
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/jsre/deps
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/golang.org/x/net/html/charset
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/mattn/go-isatty
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/fatih/color
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/sourcemap.v1/base64vlq
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/sourcemap.v1
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/token
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/dbg
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/file
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/dcps/internetgateway1
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/huin/goupnp/dcps/internetgateway2
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/ast
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/debug
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/parser
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto/registry
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/web3ext
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/peterh/liner
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/maruel/panicparse/stack
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go/descriptor
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/nat
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/mattn/go-runewidth
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/mitchellh/go-wordwrap
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/naoina/go-stringutil
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/naoina/toml/ast
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/robertkrimen/otto
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/usbwallet/internal/trezor
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/nsf/termbox-go
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/naoina/toml
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/github.com/gizak/termui
# github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3
In file included from vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3/api.go:7:0:
vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3/api.go: In function ‘_duk_error’:
vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3/duktape.h:510:127: warning: right-hand operand of comma expression has no effect [-Wunused-value]
  (duk_error_raw((ctx), (duk_errcode_t) (err_code), (const char *) (DUK_FILE_MACRO), (duk_int_t) (DUK_LINE_MACRO), __VA_ARGS__), (duk_ret_t) 0)
                                                                                                                               ^
vendor/gopkg.in/olebedev/go-duktape.v3/api.go:153:2: note: in expansion of macro ‘duk_error’
  duk_error(ctx, err_code, "%s", str);
  ^
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/jsre
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/ecies
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discv5
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/state
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/bloombits
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/vm
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethclient
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/keystore
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/usbwallet
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/misc
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/dashboard
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/whisper/whisperv5
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/clique
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/ethash
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/fetcher
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/console
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/downloader
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/filters
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/light
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/ethapi
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/miner
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/gasprice
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/tracers
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/les
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethstats
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/geth
Done building.
Run "/home/ubuntu/go-ethereum/build/bin/geth" to launch geth.
srv@local:~/go-ethereum$