Gemini 4 Carbon: Our next frontier model
deepmind.google·5d ago
AI Engineering
Lobsters·Jul 10·5 min read
Adding Go to a browser code runner
TL;DR
Compiling Go to WebAssembly (WASM) for browser execution typically involves setting GOOS=js, but this approach fails in isolated environments. Instead, using GOOS=wasip1 allows for proper execution in isolated-vm, which lacks a DOM and event loop.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers can implement GOOS=wasip1 to enable Go code execution in isolated environments without hanging issues.
Key Takeaways
- Use GOOS=wasip1 for Go code in isolated environments.
- Understand the limitations of isolated-vm regarding DOM and event loops.
- Explore alternative methods for compiling Go to WASM.
- Leverage existing tools like wasm_exec.js for Go runtime support.
Full Summary
dailyprog, a coding puzzle site, initially supported JavaScript, Python, and C, each requiring unique setups for browser execution. For Go, the common method involves compiling with GOOS=js and GOARCH=wasm, utilizing a JavaScript syscall bridge and a support file called wasm_exec.js.
However, dailyprog executes user-submitted code in isolated-vm, a V8 isolate that does not support the standard asynchronous WebAssembly instantiation process. This leads to hanging programs since the Promise from async instantiation never resolves.
By switching to GOOS=wasip1, the Go code can run effectively in this restricted environment. This approach not only resolves the hanging issue but also opens up new possibilities for running Go in isolated contexts.