diff --git a/var/spack/packages/go/package.py b/var/spack/packages/go/package.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4e3f6fa8ec94af8bc904e4681212cc5371dd9580
--- /dev/null
+++ b/var/spack/packages/go/package.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import os
+from spack import *
+
+class Go(Package):
+    """The golang compiler and build environment"""
+    homepage = "https://golang.org"
+    url = "https://go.googlesource.com/go"
+
+    extendable = True
+
+    # temporary fix until tags are pulled correctly
+    version('1.4.2', git='https://go.googlesource.com/go', tag='go1.4.2')
+
+    # to-do, make non-c self-hosting compilers possible
+    # depends_on('go@:1.4.2', when='@1.5:')
+
+    def install(self, spec, prefix):
+      os.environ['GOROOT'] = os.getcwd()
+      os.environ['GOBIN'] = join_path(os.getcwd(), 'bin')
+      os.environ['GOROOT_FINAL'] = prefix
+      bash = which('bash')
+      bash('-c', 'env')
+      bash('-c', 'pwd')
+      with working_dir('src'):
+        #TODO: crutch until the read-only-filesystem bug is fixed upstream
+        bash('all.bash', fail_on_error=False)
+      cp = which('cp')
+      bash('-c', 'cp -r ./* "{}"'.format(prefix))
+
+    def setup_dependent_environment(self, module, spec, ext_spec):
+        """Called before go modules' install() methods.
+
+        In most cases, extensions will only need to have one line::
+
+            go('get', '<package>')
+        """
+        #  Add a go command for extensions
+        module.go = Executable(join_path(spec.prefix.bin, 'go'))
+        os.environ['GOROOT'] = spec.prefix
+
+        stage_path = os.path.realpath(ext_spec.package.stage.source_path)
+        print "PREFIX: {}".format(stage_path)
+        go_paths = [stage_path]
+        for d in ext_spec.traverse():
+            if d.package.extends(self.spec):
+                go_paths.append(d.prefix)
+        os.environ['GOPATH'] = ':'.join(go_paths)
+
+
diff --git a/var/spack/packages/the_platinum_searcher/package.py b/var/spack/packages/the_platinum_searcher/package.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1dd54d3b98209584ec6b75808dabb048c8b101c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/var/spack/packages/the_platinum_searcher/package.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+from spack import *
+
+class ThePlatinumSearcher(Package):
+    """Fast parallel recursive grep alternative"""
+    # FIXME: add a proper url for your package's homepage here.
+    homepage = "https://github.com/monochromegane/the_platinum_searcher"
+    url      = "https://github.com/monochromegane/the_platinum_searcher/archive/v1.7.7.tar.gz"
+
+    version('1.7.7', '08d7265e101bc1427d5d4b9903aa1166')
+
+    depends_on("go")
+
+    def install(self, spec, prefix):
+        env = which('env')
+        env()
+        # Fetch all dependencies
+        go('get', './...')
+        # Build pt
+        go('build')