The Linux Foundation has unveiled OpenTofu, a groundbreaking open source alternative to Terraform, the widely utilized infrastructure as code provisioning tool. This initiative, previously named OpenTF, emerges as a community-driven response to Terraform’s recent shift in licensing from Mozilla Public License v2.0 (MPLv2) to Business Source License v1.1. OpenTofu ensures a reliable, open source alternative governed neutrally.
Terraform has played a pivotal role in simplifying infrastructure management in cloud environments. However, concerns have arisen within the open source community due to its licensing changes. OpenTofu, an open source successor to MPLv2-licensed Terraform, will remain community-driven, impartial, modular, and backward-compatible.
OpenTofu has garnered substantial support from industry leaders, including Harness, Gruntwork, Spacelift, env0, Scalr, Digger, Terrateam, Massdriver, Terramate, and many others. The project has received formal commitments from over 140 organizations and 600 individuals. It is committed to ongoing codebase development and maintenance, with an initial pledge of at least 18 full-time developers for the next five years.
Jim Zemlin, Executive Director at the Linux Foundation, stated, “The launch of OpenTofu signifies a collective commitment to fostering truly open collaboration and innovation in the realm of infrastructure as code. OpenTofu’s dedication to open source principles underscores our shared vision of providing accessible, reliable tools that empower the tech community.”
Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of CNCF, expressed excitement about the OpenTofu initiative and its potential for cross-organization cooperation under open governance, emphasizing the collaboration with the CNCF community.
Yevgeniy (Jim) Brikman, Co-founder and CEO of Gruntwork and a founding team member of OpenTofu, emphasized the importance of true open source in building the foundations of the modern Internet. He highlighted that having OpenTofu under the Linux Foundation ensures its community-driven and truly open source nature, aligning with the principles of accessibility and predictability.
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