Which command initializes a Terraform working directory and downloads provider plugins?

• A. terraform apply
• B. terraform init
• C. terraform plan
• D. terraform destroy

Answer: (B)

Initializing a Terraform working directory and downloading provider plugins is handled by the initialization step. This command sets up the current directory for Terraform use: it configures the backend to store state, fetches and installs the required provider plugins described in your configuration, and prepares modules so Terraform can operate. Without this step, Terraform wouldn’t know where to store state or which providers to load, so other actions wouldn’t function properly.

Other commands—plan, apply, and destroy—work on an environment that has already been initialized and has the necessary providers available. plan creates a preview of changes, apply makes those changes in your infrastructure, and destroy removes resources. They don’t perform the initial provider download or directory setup that init does.