OpenTofu, a Terraform fork project of the Linux Foundation, recently made its first stable version generally available. With it, developers can more easily develop scripts for automatically setting up virtual machines (VMs) and other cloud resources.
OpenTofu is a new fork of the open-source platform HashiCorp Terraform. This platform allows companies to set up their cloud infrastructure, such as using scripts to set up VMs and other cloud resources. The idea is to eliminate the need for developers and administrators to configure resources individually and manually.
More features than Terraform
The OpenTofu fork now available is a copy of Terraform’s source code but has additional functionality. For example, in the current OpenTofu version 1.6, a service has been added that replaces the existing Terraform “app store,” the Terraform Registry. This alternative service would, for example, be faster and have lower operating costs.
In addition, more eye-catching features will be added in upcoming OpenTofu versions. These include a plugin system to extend the basic set of open-source code with custom features. Also, OpenTofu is getting new encryption functionality that should improve the security of user-specific installations.
Work on the OpenTofu version of the Terraform platform, under the responsibility of the Linux Foundation, began in 2023. This was possible after HashiCorp modified the platform’s license.
Under the new license terms, end users will have access to the source code and can use it free of charge for their purposes. Software companies are not allowed to use Terraform to build competing products.
Currently, OpenTofu’s functionality is still one-to-one with Terraform’s. However, the developers indicate that the two variants will diverge over time.
Also read: HashiCorp updates Terraform Cloud with Drift Detection