In this section, we will cover the steps required to install Terraform on your local machine. Terraform is a powerful tool for infrastructure as code (IaC), and getting it set up correctly is the first step towards leveraging its capabilities.

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A computer with a supported operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
• Administrative privileges to install software.

1. Visit the Terraform Download Page: Go to the official Terraform download page.

2. Select Your Operating System: Choose the appropriate version for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

For Windows:

1. Download the ZIP File: Download the ZIP file for Windows.

2. Extract the ZIP File: Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a directory of your choice. For example, C:\Terraform.

3. Add Terraform to System PATH:

   • Open the Start Search, type in "env", and select "Edit the system environment variables".
   • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
   • In the Environment Variables window, find the "Path" variable in the "System variables" section and click "Edit".
   • Click "New" and add the path to the directory where you extracted Terraform (e.g., C:\Terraform).
   • Click "OK" to close all windows.

For macOS:

1. Download the ZIP File: Download the ZIP file for macOS.

2. Extract the ZIP File: Open a terminal and navigate to the directory where the ZIP file was downloaded. Use the following command to extract it:

   unzip terraform_<VERSION>_darwin_amd64.zip
   

3. Move the Binary to /usr/local/bin: Move the extracted binary to /usr/local/bin to make it accessible from anywhere:

   sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/
   

For Linux:

1. Download the ZIP File: Download the ZIP file for Linux.

2. Extract the ZIP File: Open a terminal and navigate to the directory where the ZIP file was downloaded. Use the following command to extract it:

   unzip terraform_<VERSION>_linux_amd64.zip
   

3. Move the Binary to /usr/local/bin: Move the extracted binary to /usr/local/bin to make it accessible from anywhere:

   sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/
   

After installing Terraform, verify that it is correctly installed by running the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

You should see output similar to:

This confirms that Terraform is installed and ready to use.

• Problem: terraform: command not found
  • Solution: Ensure that the directory containing the Terraform binary is added to your system's PATH environment variable.

• Problem: Permission denied when moving the binary.
  • Solution: Use sudo to move the binary to a directory that requires administrative privileges.

In this section, we covered the steps to download and install Terraform on Windows, macOS, and Linux. We also discussed how to verify the installation and troubleshoot common issues. With Terraform installed, you are now ready to move on to the next section, where we will explore the basics of Terraform and create your first configuration.