cmd/go: install/build doesn't remove temporary files when aborted

[aykevl]

Go version: go1.10 linux/amd64

I've noticed go build and go install don't remove temporary files in /tmp/go-* when aborted with Ctrl-C.
This is an issue with big programs (binary size ~1GB due to linking with a huge C/C++ library), because late in the linking process an intermediary file is created as big as the output file (probably it's the output file itself) that just stays in /tmp on a tmpfs. Aborting a few times at this stage in the build will quickly fill the RAM on a regular computer until the next reboot (or until manually removing all temporary files).

It would be nice if the Go toolchain would remove it's own temporary files when aborted.

[agnivade]

I believe tmpfs will swap out to disk when memory is too low, but that's an orthogonal issue.

/cc @ianlancetaylor , @rsc

[bcmills]

I can think of at least two ways we could address this:

1. Register temporary directories with cmd/go/internal/base for deletion when base.Exit is called.
2. Plumb through some sort of cancellation mechanism (perhaps a context.Context in the cmd/go/internal/base package?) so that functions can return (and execute defer calls for cleanup) on interrupt.

[rsc]

Context is inappropriate here. We have context - the whole binary.
Registering temporary directories would be fine.

[rsc]

(Even better, make one temporary directory and put all the others under it and then there's just one tree to remove.)

[szmcdull]

what is blocking this issue from being resolved

[ianlancetaylor]

@szmcdull It hasn't been a high enough priority for anybody to work on it. Go is an open source project; would you be interested in taking a look and sending a fix? Thanks.