How to write a PID file in Golang.

pidfile_snippet.go

// Write a pid file, but first make sure it doesn't exist with a running pid.
func writePidFile(pidFile string) error {
	// Read in the pid file as a slice of bytes.
	if piddata, err := ioutil.ReadFile(pidFile); err == nil {
		// Convert the file contents to an integer.
		if pid, err := strconv.Atoi(string(piddata)); err == nil {
			// Look for the pid in the process list.
			if process, err := os.FindProcess(pid); err == nil {
				// Send the process a signal zero kill.
				if err := process.Signal(syscall.Signal(0)); err == nil {
					// We only get an error if the pid isn't running, or it's not ours.
					return fmt.Errorf("pid already running: %d", pid)
				}
			}
		}
	}
	// If we get here, then the pidfile didn't exist,
	// or the pid in it doesn't belong to the user running this app.
	return ioutil.WriteFile(pidFile, []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d", os.Getpid())), 0664)
}

fwiw, I wrote this code when I was very new to go, and this is not how I would write it today. Good luck!

All good, I just shared it in this gist thread since someone else could need it as I did.