Is it necessary to execute the terraform init command for every new Terraform project, or whenever there are significant updates to an existing project?

Is it necessary to execute the terraform init command for every new Terraform project, or whenever there are significant updates to an existing project?

Yes, you need to execute the terraform init command for each new Terraform project, and whenever you significantly update or modify the configuration of an existing project, such as adding a new provider or backend. This command prepares your project directory for other commands, installs required providers, sets up the backend for the state file, and initializes any modules used within the configuration. This command is also crucial for several reasons:

1. -Initializing the Backend: terraform init sets up the backend for your state file, which can be local or remote. This is essential for state management and collaboration.

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3. -Installing Providers: It installs the necessary provider plugins that Terraform uses to manage the resources. Each provider must be downloaded and installed locally before Terraform can use it.

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5. -Module Installation: If your configuration includes any modules, terraform init will download and install these modules.

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7. -Reinitialization: It’s also necessary to run terraform init if you've made changes to the configuration that might affect the initialization, such as changing the backend, adding new providers, or modules.

Therefore, terraform init is an essential step to prepare a project for further Terraform commands like plan and apply.