tenv

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What tenv is

tenv is a free Go version manager for OpenTofu, Terraform, Terragrunt, Terramate, and Atmos. It installs and switches among versions selected by exact release, semantic-version constraint, latest or prerelease choice, or requirements found in infrastructure-as-code files. For OpenTofu, Terraform, and Terragrunt, an HCL parser extracts version constraints. Running tenv without a subcommand opens interactive management menus. Documentation describes SHA-256 checksums and signature verification, although coverage differs: Terragrunt and Atmos have checksum checks without signatures, and unstable OpenTofu releases are signed only with cosign. tenv runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows under the Apache 2.0 license. Installation is available through package managers or manual methods. A Docker image exists but is not intended for CI pipelines. GitHub Actions support can expose proxied output and status, while lockfiles prevent concurrent install or uninstall conflicts.

Who it suits

tenv suits developers and DevOps professionals managing infrastructure-as-code tool versions across Linux, macOS, or Windows. It also supports project version pinning and CI/CD workflows.

What it does well

Manages five infrastructure tools
Parses HCL version constraints
Supports exact and prerelease versions
Cross-platform support
Free Apache 2.0 project

What to know first

Verification varies by tool
Some releases lack signatures
Docker image not intended for CI pipelines
GitHub downloads may need token configuration

Limits

Verification is tool-dependent: Terragrunt and Atmos have checksum checks without signatures, and unstable OpenTofu releases are signed only with cosign. The Docker image is not intended for CI pipelines.

Getting started

Open the tenv website
Install with a listed package manager or manual method
Choose Linux, macOS, or Windows installation
Select tool versions directly or from infrastructure-as-code constraints
Configure GitHub Actions environment support when needed

Verdict

tenv provides broad version selection and HCL-based detection for several infrastructure tools. Its verification coverage differs by tool, and the Docker image has a stated CI limitation.

Questions

How much does tenv cost?

tenv is free and distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.

Which operating systems are supported?

tenv supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Which tools can it manage?

It manages OpenTofu, Terraform, Terragrunt, Terramate, and Atmos.

How can versions be selected?

You can use exact versions, semantic-version constraints, latest or prerelease releases, or constraints detected from supported HCL files.

Does tenv work with GitHub Actions?

Yes. With GITHUB_ACTIONS enabled, it can write proxied output, errors, and exit status to GITHUB_OUTPUT and update the tool path.

How is tenv installed?

The project lists Homebrew, MacPorts, Chocolatey, Scoop, WinGet, Snap, Nix, Linux packages, and manual installation options.

Facts from tenv's own pages

Concurrency: Install and uninstall operations use lockfiles to prevent conflicts between concurrent tenv instances. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Docker: A Docker image is available, but the documentation says it is not intended for running tenv in CI pipelines. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
GitHub Actions: When the GITHUB_ACTIONS environment variable is enabled, tenv can write proxied stdout, stderr and exit code to GITHUB_OUTPUT. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
GitHub API integration: A GitHub token can be configured to increase REST API rate limits for downloads from GitHub repositories. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Go library: tenv can be called as a Go module through the tenvlib wrapper package, which the project says has a Semver compatibility promise. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
HCL detection: It uses an HCL parser to extract required version constraints from OpenTofu, Terraform, and Terragrunt files. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Installation: Installation options include package managers, manual packaged binaries, and a Docker image; the documentation says Docker is not intended for CI pipelines. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Integrations: The documentation describes GitHub Actions environment-variable support for exposing proxied output and updating the tool path. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Intended users: The project describes the tool as helping developers and DevOps professionals manage versions of supported infrastructure tools. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Interactive use: Running tenv without a subcommand displays interactive menus for managing tools and versions. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
License: The project is distributed under the Apache 2.0 license. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Platforms: The project says it works on Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, and Solaris, and lists installation options for Linux, macOS, and Windows. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Purpose: tenv is a Go version manager for OpenTofu, Terraform, Terragrunt, Terramate, and Atmos. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Security checks: It checks SHA-256 checksums and supports signature verification with cosign or PGP for some managed tools. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Semver: The project states that it is compatible with Semver 2.0.0. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs questions and suggestions to GitHub Issues and the tofuutils Slack community's #tofuutils channel. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Verification limits: The documentation says Terragrunt and Atmos releases have checksum checks but no signature available; unstable OpenTofu versions are signed only with cosign. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Version detection: It uses semantic versioning and can parse HCL files to extract version constraints for OpenTofu, Terraform and Terragrunt. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Version management: It can install and switch between versions of the supported tools. · tofuutils.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Version selection: It supports exact versions, semantic version constraints, latest or prerelease versions, and versions detected from infrastructure-as-code files. · tofuutils.github.io, 3 Oct 2026

Where tenv stands on Freedom251

Runtime Version Managers#25 of 30
Development Environment Managers#48 of 50