How to fix Error: local-exec provisioner error in Terraform

First, manually run the exact command from your terminal to ensure it exists and works:

# Test the command from your shell
which your-command
# or
your-command --version

If the command doesn't exist, you need to install it or update your PATH. For Terraform Cloud or CI/CD, ensure the command is installed in that environment (not just your local machine).

Use on_failure = continue temporarily to see what the command outputs, then check the exit code:

provisioner "local-exec" {
  command    = "your-command"
  on_failure = continue
}

Then run:

terraform apply
your-command; echo "Exit code: $?"

If the exit code is non-zero, the command is failing. Verify it succeeds independently before adding to Terraform.

If using working_dir, ensure that directory exists:

provisioner "local-exec" {
  working_dir = "/path/to/directory"
  command     = "your-command"
}

Test this:

ls -la /path/to/directory
cd /path/to/directory && your-command

Use absolute paths instead of relative paths to avoid confusion about current working directory.

Specify the full path to the command or script:

provisioner "local-exec" {
  command = "/usr/bin/bash /absolute/path/to/script.sh"
}

On Windows, use full paths:

provisioner "local-exec" {
  command    = "powershell -Command C:\\path\\to\\script.ps1"
  interpreter = ["powershell", "-Command"]
}

This prevents PATH resolution issues, especially in CI/CD environments.

Pass required environment variables directly to the provisioner:

provisioner "local-exec" {
  command = "deploy.sh"
  environment = {
    AWS_REGION = var.aws_region
    APP_ENV    = "production"
  }
}

Verify the command runs with these variables in your shell:

export AWS_REGION=us-east-1
export APP_ENV=production
./deploy.sh

Terraform Cloud/Enterprise runs provisioners in a sandboxed environment with a limited PATH. If using local-exec in Terraform Cloud:

1. Use absolute paths (e.g., /usr/bin/aws instead of just aws)
2. Use the built-in interpreter option to call a shell explicitly
3. Consider pre-installing tools via a cloud init or provider setup
4. Check the Terraform Cloud logs for actual error messages

provisioner "local-exec" {
  command    = "/usr/local/bin/aws s3 ls"
  interpreter = ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
}

Set TF_LOG to DEBUG for detailed output:

export TF_LOG=DEBUG
terraform apply 2>&1 | grep -A 10 "local-exec"

The logs will show the exact command being executed and any error output. This is especially helpful in CI/CD pipelines.