Deploy AWS Resources Locally with OpenTofu & LocalStack ??

Introduction

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a game-changer for managing cloud resources, but testing AWS deployments can be costly and time-consuming. OpenTofu, an open-source Terraform alternative, combined with LocalStack, lets you create and test AWS resources without real AWS accounts—saving time and money!

This guide walks you through deploying an S3 bucket and an EC2 instance using OpenTofu and LocalStack.

?? Why OpenTofu + LocalStack?

? No AWS Costs – Run AWS services locally. ? Faster Testing & Development – Instant deployment, no waiting. ? Terraform-Compatible – Seamless migration. ? Full AWS API Emulation – Supports S3, EC2, IAM, and more. ? Open Source & Vendor-Neutral – No licensing restrictions!

?? Step-by-Step Setup

1?? Install LocalStack & OpenTofu

pip install localstack awscli-local  
brew install opentofu  
localstack start          

2?? Configure AWS Credentials for LocalStack

export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=test  
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=test  
export AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=test  
export AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1  
alias aws="aws --endpoint-url=https://localhost:4566"          

3?? Define AWS Resources in OpenTofu (main.tf)

provider "aws" {
  access_key                  = "test"
  secret_key                  = "test"
  region                      = "us-east-1"
  skip_credentials_validation = true
  skip_metadata_api_check     = true
  skip_requesting_account_id  = true
  endpoints {
    s3  = "https://localhost:4566"
    ec2 = "https://localhost:4566"
  }
}

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "tofu_bucket" {
  bucket        = "tofu-bucket"
  force_destroy = true
}

resource "aws_instance" "tofu_instance" {
  ami           = "ami-12345678"  # Dummy AMI for LocalStack
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}
        

4?? Deploy with OpenTofu

tofu init  
tofu plan  
tofu apply -auto-approve          

5?? Verify Resources

To check the S3 bucket:

aws s3 ls --endpoint-url=https://localhost:4566        

To check the EC2 instance:

aws ec2 describe-instances --endpoint-url=https://localhost:4566        

?? Conclusion

By using OpenTofu with LocalStack, you can deploy, test, and automate AWS infrastructure locally, without AWS costs or cloud dependencies. This setup is perfect for CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure testing, and DevOps automation.

?? Are you using OpenTofu? Let’s discuss your experience in the comments!

?? Full guide here: https://github.com/ambatibhargavi/tofu.git

#OpenTofu #LocalStack #Terraform #DevOps #AWS #CloudComputing #InfrastructureAsCode