Getting Started

Getting Started with Inkdrop

Inkdrop is designed to be easy to install and use. This quick start guide will walk you through installing the Inkdrop CLI and using it to visualize your Terraform infrastructure.

Installation

Inkdrop supports installation via Homebrew, npm, or manual download.

Install with Homebrew (MacOS)

brew tap inkdrop-org/inkdrop-visualizer
brew install inkdrop-visualizer

Install with npm

npm install -g inkdrop-visualizer

Manual Download (Linux)

1. Download the latest Linux release from https://github.com/inkdrop-org/inkdrop-visualizer/releases/latest

2. Extract the archive: tar -xzf inkdrop-linux-x64.tar.gz

3. Make the binary executable: chmod +x inkdrop

4. Move it to your PATH: mv inkdrop /usr/local/bin/

Using the Visualizer

1. Run Terraform Plan: First, run terraform plan to generate a plan file in your Terraform working directory.

   terraform plan -out plan.out

2. Launch Inkdrop: Then run the inkdrop CLI with the plan file as an argument:

   inkdrop plan.out

   This will launch the Inkdrop visualizer in your default browser.

3. Explore the Diagram: The interactive diagram will display all the resources in your Terraform configuration, coloring modified resources.

   • Click on resources to highlight dependencies, variables and outputs

   • Use the filters on the left to view resources by type, tags, etc.

   • Navigate using zoom and pan (hold space bar on mouse)

The visualizer generates the diagram entirely within your local environment, with no data leaving your machine.

Next Steps

• Learn how to integrate Inkdrop with your CI/CD pipeline
• Explore all the command line options
• Join our Discord community for support

Ready to start visualizing your Terraform?