github.com/rstandt/terraform@v0.12.32-0.20230710220336-b1063613405c/website/docs/provisioners/file.html.markdown (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "docs" 3 page_title: "Provisioner: file" 4 sidebar_current: "docs-provisioners-file" 5 description: |- 6 The `file` provisioner is used to copy files or directories from the machine executing Terraform to the newly created resource. The `file` provisioner supports both `ssh` and `winrm` type connections. 7 --- 8 9 # File Provisioner 10 11 The `file` provisioner is used to copy files or directories from the machine 12 executing Terraform to the newly created resource. The `file` provisioner 13 supports both `ssh` and `winrm` type [connections](/docs/provisioners/connection.html). 14 15 -> **Note:** Provisioners should only be used as a last resort. For most 16 common situations there are better alternatives. For more information, see 17 [the main Provisioners page](./). 18 19 ## Example usage 20 21 ```hcl 22 resource "aws_instance" "web" { 23 # ... 24 25 # Copies the myapp.conf file to /etc/myapp.conf 26 provisioner "file" { 27 source = "conf/myapp.conf" 28 destination = "/etc/myapp.conf" 29 } 30 31 # Copies the string in content into /tmp/file.log 32 provisioner "file" { 33 content = "ami used: ${self.ami}" 34 destination = "/tmp/file.log" 35 } 36 37 # Copies the configs.d folder to /etc/configs.d 38 provisioner "file" { 39 source = "conf/configs.d" 40 destination = "/etc" 41 } 42 43 # Copies all files and folders in apps/app1 to D:/IIS/webapp1 44 provisioner "file" { 45 source = "apps/app1/" 46 destination = "D:/IIS/webapp1" 47 } 48 } 49 ``` 50 51 ## Argument Reference 52 53 The following arguments are supported: 54 55 * `source` - This is the source file or folder. It can be specified as 56 relative to the current working directory or as an absolute path. This 57 attribute cannot be specified with `content`. 58 59 * `content` - This is the content to copy on the destination. If destination is a file, 60 the content will be written on that file, in case of a directory a file named 61 `tf-file-content` is created. It's recommended to use a file as the destination. A 62 [`template_file`](/docs/providers/template/d/file.html) might be referenced in here, or 63 any interpolation syntax. This attribute cannot be specified with `source`. 64 65 * `destination` - (Required) This is the destination path. It must be specified as an 66 absolute path. 67 68 ## Directory Uploads 69 70 The file provisioner is also able to upload a complete directory to the remote machine. 71 When uploading a directory, there are a few important things you should know. 72 73 First, when using the `ssh` connection type the destination directory must already exist. 74 If you need to create it, use a remote-exec provisioner just prior to the file provisioner 75 in order to create the directory. When using the `winrm` connection type the destination 76 directory will be created for you if it doesn't already exist. 77 78 Next, the existence of a trailing slash on the source path will determine whether the 79 directory name will be embedded within the destination, or whether the destination will 80 be created. An example explains this best: 81 82 If the source is `/foo` (no trailing slash), and the destination is `/tmp`, then the contents 83 of `/foo` on the local machine will be uploaded to `/tmp/foo` on the remote machine. The 84 `foo` directory on the remote machine will be created by Terraform. 85 86 If the source, however, is `/foo/` (a trailing slash is present), and the destination is 87 `/tmp`, then the contents of `/foo` will be uploaded directly into `/tmp`. 88 89 This behavior was adopted from the standard behavior of 90 [rsync](https://linux.die.net/man/1/rsync). 91 92 -> **Note:** Under the covers, rsync may or may not be used.