In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Terraform on Ubuntu and troubleshooting the “cannot execute binary file” error. Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code software tool that allows you to define and provide data center infrastructure using a declarative configuration language.
To troubleshoot the "cannot execute binary file" error when installing Terraform on Ubuntu, make sure you are downloading the correct version of Terraform for your system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). You can check your system architecture by running the command uname -a.
Pre-requisites
Before we begin, ensure that you have a Ubuntu system ready. You can check your system architecture by running the command uname -a. This will help you download the correct version of Terraform for your system (32-bit or 64-bit).
Method 1: Manual Installation
Step 1: Install the unzip package
Terraform is distributed as a zip archive. We need to ensure that unzip is installed on our system. Run the following command:
sudo apt-get install unzipThe sudo command allows you to run programs with the security privileges of another user (by default, as the superuser). The apt-get command is a powerful command-line tool used to work with Ubuntu’s Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) performing such functions as installation of new software packages, upgrade of existing software packages, updating of the package list index, and even upgrading the entire Ubuntu system.
Step 2: Download Terraform
Visit the Terraform downloads page to find the latest version number. Download the latest version of Terraform using wget. Replace 1.0.7 with the latest version number:
wget https://releases.hashicorp.com/terraform/1.0.7/terraform_1.0.7_linux_amd64.zipThe wget command is a free utility for non-interactive download of files from the web. It supports HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols, as well as retrieval through HTTP proxies.
Step 3: Extract Terraform
Extract the downloaded file using the unzip command:
unzip terraform_1.0.7_linux_amd64.zipStep 4: Move Terraform to the PATH
Move the Terraform executable to a directory searched for executables with this command:
sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/The mv command moves, or renames, files and directories on your filesystem.
Step 5: Verify the Installation
Finally, verify the installation by running:
terraform --versionThis command will display the installed version of Terraform.
Method 2: Snap Installation
If you have snap installed on your Ubuntu system, you can install Terraform using the following command:
sudo snap install terraform --classicThe snap command is a software deployment and package management system. The --classic option is used to disable security confinement and make the snap function as a traditionally packaged application.
Troubleshooting “cannot execute binary file” Error
In case you encounter the error “cannot execute binary file: Exec format error” when installing Terraform on Ubuntu desktop, it could be due to a compatibility issue between the binary file and your system architecture. Make sure you are downloading the correct version of Terraform for your system (32-bit or 64-bit). You can check your system architecture by running the command uname -a.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered the detailed steps to install Terraform on Ubuntu and how to troubleshoot the “cannot execute binary file” error. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully install and run Terraform on your Ubuntu system. If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to leave a comment below.
Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code software tool that allows you to define and provide data center infrastructure using a declarative configuration language.
You can check your system architecture by running the command uname -a in the terminal.
The unzip package is required to extract the Terraform zip archive that is downloaded from the official website.
You can move the Terraform executable to a directory searched for executables by using the command sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/.
You can verify the installation by running the command terraform --version in the terminal. It will display the installed version of Terraform.
Yes, if you have snap installed on your Ubuntu system, you can install Terraform using the command sudo snap install terraform --classic.
If you encounter the "cannot execute binary file" error, it could be due to a compatibility issue between the binary file and your system architecture. Make sure you download the correct version of Terraform (32-bit or 64-bit) for your system. You can check your system architecture by running the command uname -a.
