When developing a new Terraform configuration for virtual machines, which command should you run first to create the infrastructure?

Before you can create infrastructure with Terraform, it is important to prepare your working directory with the terraform init command. This command initializes the working directory containing your configuration files. It sets up the necessary provider plugins and initializes the backend state so that Terraform can manage your infrastructure.

By running terraform init first, you ensure that Terraform has all the necessary components, including downloading required providers and configuring the backend, which are essential for the next steps in deployment. This initialization must happen before you can execute commands like terraform plan or terraform apply, as those commands depend on the environment being correctly set up to understand your configurations.

In summary, running terraform init is the foundational step that sets the stage for successful configuration, planning, and application of your Terraform infrastructure.