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How to Install Terraform on Any OS (2026 Guide)

Install Terraform on Linux, macOS, Windows, or BSD. Quick apt, dnf, and brew commands plus step-by-step guides for Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, Fedora, Arch, and 50+ platforms.

LLuca Berton4 min read

This is the hub for installing Terraform on any operating system. Pick your platform from the directory below for a full step-by-step guide, or use the quick commands here to get running in under a minute.

Quick Install (TL;DR)

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Terraform is distributed by HashiCorp through official package repositories and as a standalone binary. The fastest path depends on your OS:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew tap hashicorp/tap && brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform
 
# Debian / Ubuntu (apt)
wget -O- 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
 
# RHEL / Fedora / Rocky / AlmaLinux (dnf)
sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/fedora/hashicorp.repo
sudo dnf install terraform

Then confirm the install:

terraform --version

You should see Terraform v1.12+ on linux_amd64, darwin_arm64, or your matching platform.

Which install method should I use?

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  • Official package manager (recommended). Using HashiCorp's apt/dnf/brew repositories means apt upgrade, dnf upgrade, or brew upgrade keeps Terraform current alongside the rest of your system. Best for workstations and CI runners.
  • Version manager (tfenv). Teams that pin Terraform per project should use tfenv with a .terraform-version file so everyone runs the exact same version.
  • Manual binary. On distros without a HashiCorp repo (Alpine, Void, Gentoo, Slackware, NixOS), download the official zip, verify the checksum, and drop the binary in /usr/local/bin. Each guide below shows the exact steps.
  • Docker. For ephemeral or sandboxed runs, the Docker image avoids touching the host at all.

Verify your installation

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After installing on any platform, run a quick smoke test:

terraform -help        # confirms the binary is on your PATH
terraform version      # prints the version and provider info

If terraform: command not found appears, the binary is not on your PATH. Reopen your shell or add the install directory (for example /usr/local/bin) to PATH.

Install Terraform by platform

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Choose your operating system or distribution for a complete, tested walkthrough including repository setup, verification, and troubleshooting.

Debian & Ubuntu

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RHEL, Fedora & RPM

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Arch & openSUSE

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Other Linux & BSD

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macOS, Windows & tooling

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Frequently asked questions

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How do I install Terraform on Linux?

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Add HashiCorp's official repository for your distribution, then install with your package manager: apt install terraform on Debian/Ubuntu, or dnf install terraform on RHEL/Fedora/Rocky/AlmaLinux. On distributions without a HashiCorp repo, download the official binary and place it on your PATH. Each platform guide above has the exact commands.

What is the easiest way to install Terraform?

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On macOS, Homebrew (brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform) is the quickest. On Linux, the official apt or dnf repository is easiest because upgrades come through your normal system updates.

How do I check that Terraform installed correctly?

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Run terraform --version. It prints the installed version and platform. If you see command not found, the binary is not on your PATH.

How do I install a specific Terraform version?

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Use tfenv to install and switch between versions, or download the exact version's binary from HashiCorp's releases. Package managers install the latest stable release by default.

Next steps

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Once Terraform is installed, get hands-on:

Hands-On Courses

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Learn by doing with interactive courses on CopyPasteLearn:

#Terraform#HashiCorp#Infrastructure as Code#Terraform installation#Linux

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