Terraform init prompt message when changing configuration project

[avachette]

Terraform Version

$ terraform version
Terraform v1.8.4
on linux_arm64

Your version of Terraform is out of date! The latest version
is 1.9.8. You can update by downloading from https://www.terraform.io/downloads.html

Terraform Configuration Files

$ terraform init --backend-config=./states/po.conf

Initializing the backend...
Initializing modules...
╷
│ Error: Backend configuration changed
│
│ A change in the backend configuration has been detected, which may require migrating
│ existing state.
│
│ If you wish to attempt automatic migration of the state, use "terraform init
│ -migrate-state".
│ If you wish to store the current configuration with no changes to the state, use "terraform
│ init -reconfigure".
╵

Debug Output

Not relevant here.

Expected Behavior

│ If you wish to change the current configuration with no changes to the state, use "terraform
│ init -reconfigure".

Actual Behavior

│ If you wish to store the current configuration with no changes to the state, use "terraform
│ init -reconfigure".

Steps to Reproduce

$ terraform init --backend-config=./states/pp.conf

Initializing the backend...
Initializing modules...
╷
│ Error: Backend configuration changed
│
│ A change in the backend configuration has been detected, which may require migrating
│ existing state.
│
│ If you wish to attempt automatic migration of the state, use "terraform init
│ -migrate-state".
│ If you wish to store the current configuration with no changes to the state, use "terraform
│ init -reconfigure".
╵

Additional Context

I found a bit misleading the sentence using the word store because in the end it's just changing the configuration of terraform without touching the state part.

I can make the relevant PR in this file:

• https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform/blob/main/internal/command/meta_backend.go#L1676

If it seems appropriate for you.

References

No response

[jbardin]

Hi @avachette,

As for the reasoning of the wording; the act of changing the configuration is replacing the previous configuration by storing the current configuration. Both words describe the same action from a slightly different point of view.

[avachette]

Indeed but from a PoV of the user, we don't really know what is stored?