OpenTofu is an open-source fork of Terraform. After migrating to OpenTofu, here’s what you need to know.

What is OpenTofu?

OpenTofu:

  • Terraform-compatible - Same syntax
  • Open source - MPL 2.0 license
  • Community-driven - Linux Foundation
  • Drop-in replacement - Same commands

Installation

# Install OpenTofu
brew install opentofu

# Or download binary
wget https://github.com/opentofu/opentofu/releases/download/v1.6.0/tofu_1.6.0_linux_amd64.zip
unzip tofu_1.6.0_linux_amd64.zip
sudo mv tofu /usr/local/bin/

Migration

From Terraform

# Rename terraform to tofu
mv terraform.tfstate tofu.tfstate

# Use tofu instead of terraform
tofu init
tofu plan
tofu apply

State Migration

# OpenTofu uses same state format
# No migration needed for state files

Differences

Command Changes

# Terraform
terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply

# OpenTofu
tofu init
tofu plan
tofu apply

Compatibility

  • Same syntax - HCL unchanged
  • Same providers - Compatible
  • Same state - Compatible format
  • Same workflows - Drop-in replacement

Best Practices

  1. Test migration - In dev first
  2. Update CI/CD - Change commands
  3. Update docs - Reflect changes
  4. Monitor - Track usage
  5. Contribute - Open source
  6. Stay updated - New releases
  7. Community - Join discussions
  8. Document - Migration notes

Conclusion

OpenTofu provides:

  • Terraform compatibility
  • Open source license
  • Community support
  • Drop-in replacement

Migrate gradually, test thoroughly. OpenTofu works as a Terraform replacement.

OpenTofu from July 2022, covering migration from Terraform.