Installing Terraform on Rocky Linux 10

06/08/2025

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A Complete Guide to Installing Terraform on Rocky Linux 10

Terraform has revolutionized the way we manage and provision technology infrastructure. As a leading Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool, it allows you to define your cloud and on-prem resources in human-readable configuration files that you can version, reuse, and share. When paired with a robust, enterprise-grade operating system like Rocky Linux 10, Terraform becomes an incredibly powerful solution for automating your IT workflows.

This guide provides a clear, step-by-step process for installing Terraform on Rocky Linux 10, ensuring you have a stable and secure setup ready for your infrastructure projects.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

A system running Rocky Linux 10.
Access to the terminal or command line.
A user account with sudo or root privileges.

Step 1: Update Your System Packages

First, it’s always a best practice to ensure your system is up-to-date. This applies the latest security patches and software updates, providing a stable base for new installations.

Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo dnf update -y

This command will refresh your package repositories and upgrade any outdated packages. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts, streamlining the process.

Step 2: Add the Official HashiCorp Repository

While you could manually download the Terraform binary, the recommended method is to use the official HashiCorp repository. This approach simplifies the installation and makes future updates much easier to manage using the system’s native package manager, dnf.

First, you need to install dnf-utils, which provides the config-manager utility for adding new repositories. You also need gnupg and wget to handle the security key.

sudo dnf install -y dnf-utils gnupg wget

Next, add the HashiCorp GPG key to your system. This key is used to verify the authenticity of the packages you download, ensuring they haven’t been tampered with.

wget -O- https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/hashicorp-archive-keyring.gpg

With the GPG key in place, you can now add the official HashiCorp repository to your system’s sources list:

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/RHEL/hashicorp.repo

This command tells dnf where to find Terraform and other HashiCorp products.

Step 3: Install Terraform on Rocky Linux

Now that your system is configured to trust and access the HashiCorp repository, installing Terraform is as simple as running a single command.

sudo dnf install terraform -y

The dnf package manager will automatically handle fetching the latest stable version of Terraform and installing it along with any necessary dependencies.

Step 4: Verify the Terraform Installation

Once the installation is complete, you should verify that Terraform is correctly installed and accessible from your command line. You can do this by checking its version.

Run the following command in your terminal:

terraform -version

If the installation was successful, you will see output displaying the installed Terraform version, for example:

Terraform v1.8.4
on linux_amd64

You can also view all available commands and options by running:

terraform -help

Getting Started: Your First Terraform Configuration

With Terraform installed, you’re ready to start defining infrastructure. Here’s a quick example to confirm everything is working.

Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:
```
mkdir terraform-test
cd terraform-test
```
Create a configuration file named main.tf:
```
nano main.tf
```

Add the following simple configuration to the file. This code uses the local provider to create a text file on your machine.

terraform {
  required_providers {
    local = {
      source = "hashicorp/local"
      version = "~> 2.1"
    }
  }
}

resource "local_file" "example" {
  content  = "Hello, Terraform on Rocky Linux 10!"
  filename = "${path.module}/hello.txt"
}

Save the file and exit the editor (press Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter in nano).
Now, initialize the project. The terraform init command downloads the necessary providers (in this case, the local provider).
```
terraform init
```
Next, create an execution plan. The terraform plan command shows you what changes Terraform will make to your infrastructure without actually applying them.
```
terraform plan
```
Finally, apply the configuration to create the file.
bash terraform apply
Terraform will ask for confirmation. Type yes and press Enter.

You will now find a new file named hello.txt in your terraform-test directory containing the text “Hello, Terraform on Rocky Linux 10!”.

Security and Best Practices

Keep Terraform Updated: Now that you’ve installed Terraform using the official repository, you can easily update it in the future by running sudo dnf update.
Manage State Files Securely: Terraform creates a state file (.tfstate) to track your managed resources. Never commit this file to a public version control system like Git, as it can contain sensitive information. For team collaboration, use a secure remote backend like Terraform Cloud or an S3 bucket with state locking.
Use a .gitignore: When working with Git, always add the following to your .gitignore file to prevent committing sensitive files:
```
# Local .terraform directories
**/.terraform/*

# .tfstate files
*.tfstate
*.tfstate.*

# Crash log files
crash.log
```

You have now successfully installed and configured Terraform on Rocky Linux 10. You are well-equipped to begin defining, deploying, and managing your infrastructure with code.

Source: https://centlinux.com/install-terraform-on-rocky-linux-10/