Tfvars Troubleshooting Guide

Solutions to common issues when working with Terraform variable files in your Discord infrastructure projects.

Common Errors

Error: "Invalid YAML syntax in tfvars file"

Solution: Check for incorrect indentation or missing colons in your YAML file. Use the tfvars-validate command to identify the exact line causing the error.

tfvars-validate configuration.tfvars

Error: "Missing required variable: database_password"

Solution: Ensure all required variables in your Terraform configuration are defined in your tfvars file. Add the missing variable with an appropriate value.

database_password = "your_secure_password"

Configuration Issues

Problem: Environment-specific variables not loading

Solution: Use the tfvars-environment command with the correct environment name. Example:

tfvars-environment production -b main 1.2.0

Problem: tfvars file not being detected

Solution: Confirm your file is named correctly. Terraform looks for files ending in .auto.tfvars, or specify the file explicitly.

terraform apply -var-file="custom-environment.auto.tfvars"

Security Issues

Warning: "Insecure storage of sensitive data"

Solution: Always encrypt sensitive values. Example encryption command:


tfvars-encrypt --input secrets.tfvars \
--output encrypted-secrets.tfvars \
--key "your-strong-encryption-key"

Problem: Accidental exposure of credentials

Solution: Use the tfvars-audit command to identify insecure patterns in your files.

tfvars-audit secrets.tfvars

Automation Failures

Problem: CI/CD pipeline failing to decrypt tfvars

Solution: Ensure your encryption key is properly set as an environment secret in your CI/CD system.

TFVARS_KEY="your-automated-pipeline-decryption-key"

Issue: Watch directory not syncing correctly

Solution: Run the watcher with full path and verify file permissions:

tfvars-watch --path /full/path/to/environments/ --sync