Getting Started with Terraform: CLI, HCL, and Your First Config

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Installing Terraform

Terraform runs as a single binary — which means setup is blissfully lightweight. Here’s how to install it on different systems:

🔹 macOS

If you use Homebrew:

brew tap hashicorp/tap
brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform

To confirm it's installed:

terraform -v

🔹 Windows

Download the .zip from the official site, extract, and add the folder to your system’s PATH from Official Website

🔹 Linux

Download from the Terraform releases page or use:

Download from the Terraform releases page or use:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y gnupg software-properties-common curl
curl -fsSL https://apt.releases.hashicorp.com/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/hashicorp-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/hashicorp-archive-keyring.gpg] \
https://apt.releases.hashicorp.com $(lsb_release -cs) main" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/hashicorp.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install terraform

Exploring the Terraform CLI

Once installed, run:

terraform

You’ll see a list of available commands. Let’s focus on the ones that matter most right now:

Each command plays a role in Terraform’s plan → apply → destroy lifecycle.

Understanding .tf Files and HCL Syntax

Terraform config files end in .tf. These are written in HCL — a human-friendly, JSON-compatible configuration language designed for clarity.

Here’s what HCL is not:

• It’s not a scripting language

• It doesn’t run logic or loops like Python

• It doesn’t require indentation rules like YAML

Instead, it’s declarative — you tell Terraform what you want, not how to do it.

Here’s an example block:

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"
}

resource "aws_instance" "web" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}

Each block has:

• A type (e.g., resource, provider)

• A label (e.g., aws_instance, "web")

• A set of arguments (like ami, instance_type)

Your First Terraform Configuration (Safe & Local)

Let’s use a null resource — a Terraform trick that doesn’t create any real infrastructure but lets us test the workflow.

🧱 Step-by-step:

1. Create a working directory:

mkdir terraform-basics && cd terraform-basics

2. Create main.tf:

terraform {
  required_providers {
    null = {
      source = "hashicorp/null"
      version = "~> 3.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "null" {}

resource "null_resource" "example" {
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    command = "echo Hello, Terraform!"
  }
}

3. Run your first commands:

terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply

Confirm with yes and watch the output.

4. To clean up:

terraform destroy

Common Pitfalls / Pro Tips

✅ Always run terraform plan before apply — Don’t fly blind.
✅ Keep your .tfstate file out of Git — It contains sensitive info.
✅ Use version constraints in provider blocks — Prevent breaking changes.
❌ Don’t mix manual and Terraform-created resources in the same cloud environment you’ll confuse Terraform’s state tracking.

💡 Tip of the Day:

📚 Resources & References

1️⃣ Terraform CLI Command Guide
🔗 Documentation
Official list and usage examples of all Terraform CLI commands.

2️⃣ Installing Terraform on All Platforms
🔗 Install Docs
Clean installation walkthroughs for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

3️⃣ HashiCorp Learn: Terraform Basics
🔗 Tutorials
Beginner-friendly CLI practice tutorials with example code.

4️⃣ Terraform GitHub Repository
🔗 Source Code
Dive into the open-source source code of Terraform itself.

5️⃣ Null Provider Explanation
🔗 Module Doc
Use this provider to practice configuration before deploying real infrastructure.

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