Solar Boat is a command-line interface tool designed for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and GitOps workflows. It provides intelligent Terraform operations management with automatic dependency detection and stateful/stateless module handling.
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Inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Solar Boats that carried Pharaohs through their celestial journey, this CLI tool serves as a modern vessel that carries developers through the complexities of operations and infrastructure management. Just as the ancient boats handled the journey through the afterlife so the Pharaoh didn't have to worry about it, Solar Boat CLI handles the operational journey so developers can focus on what they do best - writing code. |
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- Intelligent Terraform Operations
- Automatic detection of changed modules
- Smart handling of stateful and stateless modules
- Automatic dependency propagation
- Parallel execution of independent modules
- Detailed operation reporting
- Self-service ephemeral environments on Kubernetes
- Infrastructure management and deployment
- Custom workflow automation
# Install the latest version
cargo install solarboat
# Install a specific version
cargo install solarboat --version 0.3.0git clone https://github.com/devqik/solarboat.git
cd solarboat
cargo build# Scan for changed Terraform modules
solarboat scan
# Scan modules in a specific directory
solarboat scan --path ./terraform-modules
# Plan Terraform changes
solarboat plan
# Plan and save outputs to a specific directory
solarboat plan --output-dir ./terraform-plans
# Plan changes while ignoring specific workspaces
solarboat plan --ignore-workspaces dev,staging
# Apply Terraform changes (dry-run mode by default)
solarboat apply
# Apply actual Terraform changes
solarboat apply --dry-run=false
# Apply changes while ignoring specific workspaces
solarboat apply --ignore-workspaces prod,stagingThe scan command analyzes your repository for changed Terraform modules and their dependencies. It:
- Detects modified
.tffiles - Builds a dependency graph
- Identifies affected modules
- Does not generate any plans or make changes
The plan command generates Terraform plans for changed modules. It:
- Runs
terraform initfor each module - Detects and handles multiple workspaces
- Generates detailed plans for each workspace
- Optionally skips specified workspaces
- Optionally saves plans to a specified directory
- Shows what changes would be made
The apply command implements the changes to your infrastructure. It:
- Runs
terraform initfor each module - Detects and handles multiple workspaces
- Supports dry-run mode for safety
- Optionally skips specified workspaces
- Automatically approves changes in CI/CD
- Shows real-time progress
Solar Boat CLI recognizes two types of Terraform modules:
- Stateful Modules: Modules that manage actual infrastructure state (contain backend configuration)
- Stateless Modules: Reusable modules without state (no backend configuration)
When changes are detected in stateless modules, the CLI automatically identifies and processes any stateful modules that depend on them.
Solar Boat CLI provides intelligent workspace management for Terraform modules:
- Automatic Detection: Automatically detects if a module has multiple workspaces
- Individual Processing: Processes each workspace separately for both plan and apply operations
- Workspace Filtering: Allows skipping specific workspaces using the
--ignore-workspacesflag - Default Workspace: Handles modules with only the default workspace appropriately
Solar Boat provides a GitHub Action for seamless integration with your CI/CD pipeline. The action can scan for changes, generate Terraform plans, and automatically comment on pull requests with the results.
name: Infrastructure Management
on:
pull_request:
branches: [ main ]
push:
branches: [ main ]
jobs:
infrastructure:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
with:
fetch-depth: 0 # Important for detecting changes
- name: Scan for Changes
if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
uses: devqik/solarboat-action@latest
with:
command: scan
github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
- name: Plan Infrastructure Changes
if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
uses: devqik/solarboat-action@latest
with:
command: plan
output_dir: terraform-plans
github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
- name: Apply Infrastructure Changes
if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
uses: devqik/solarboat-action@latest
with:
command: apply
apply_dry_run: false # Set to true for dry-run mode
github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}This workflow will:
- Scan for changes
- Plan infrastructure changes
- Comment on the PR with results
- Apply changes when merged to main
| Input | Description | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
command |
Command to run (scan, plan, or apply) |
Yes | - |
plan_output_dir |
Directory to save Terraform plan files | No | terraform-plans |
apply_dry_run |
Run apply in dry-run mode | No | true |
ignore_workspaces |
Comma-separated list of workspaces to ignore | No | '' |
Basic Scan and Plan:
- name: Scan Changes
uses: devqik/[email protected]
with:
command: scan
- name: Plan Changes
uses: devqik/[email protected]
with:
command: plan
plan_output_dir: my-plansApply with Workspace Filtering:
- name: Apply Changes
uses: devqik/[email protected]
with:
command: apply
ignore_workspaces: dev,staging,test
apply_dry_run: trueComplete Workflow with Conditions:
jobs:
terraform:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
# Run on all branches
- name: Plan Changes
uses: devqik/[email protected]
with:
command: plan
plan_output_dir: terraform-plans
ignore_workspaces: dev,staging
# Run only on main branch
- name: Apply Changes
if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
uses: devqik/[email protected]
with:
command: apply
ignore_workspaces: dev,staging
# Access plan artifacts
- name: Download Plans
uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
with:
name: terraform-plans
path: terraform-plansThe action automatically uploads Terraform plans as artifacts when using the plan command, making them available for review or use in subsequent workflow steps.
When a plan is generated, the action will automatically comment on the pull request with:
- Summary of changes detected
- Links to plan artifacts
- Next steps for review
- Retention period information
The action requires GITHUB_TOKEN for commenting on PRs and managing artifacts. This token is automatically provided by GitHub Actions, but you need to pass it explicitly to the action.
Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guide for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.
This project is licensed under the BSD-3-Clause License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Discussions: GitHub Discussions
- Documentation: Wiki
Special thanks to all contributors who help make this project better! Whether you're fixing bugs, improving documentation, or suggesting features, your contributions are greatly appreciated.
~ @devqik (Creator)