In Terraform, what is the primary purpose of the init command?

The primary purpose of the init command in Terraform is to initialize a directory for use with Terraform. When you run this command, it sets up the working directory containing your configuration files. This includes downloading the necessary provider plugins defined in your configuration, creating the necessary local directories (such as .terraform), and preparing the backend for state management if specified.

This initialization step is essential because it ensures that the environment is correctly set up before any resource management or modifications are attempted. Without this setup, Terraform cannot effectively manage infrastructure resources. The command typically needs to be run when starting a new project or after changes to the configuration that affect providers or the backend. This fundamental step is critical for the correct operation of subsequent commands, such as planning and applying infrastructure changes.

The other choices, while relevant to different parts of Terraform's functionality, do not accurately reflect the role of the init command. For instance, validation is performed by a separate command, and applying or destroying resources are actions taken after the directory has been initialized.