How do I install the Iac skill?

Run npx skillmds add tyler-r-kendrick/iac in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Iac?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Tyler-R-Kendrick (@tyler-r-kendrick) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Iac by tyler-r-kendrick — Agent Skill

Name: Iac
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: Tyler-R-Kendrick

Iac

Use when working with Infrastructure as Code tools and platforms. Covers Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Bicep, ARM, Kubernetes, Helm, Docker, Crossplane, and Dagger. USE FOR: choosing IaC tools, comparing Terraform vs Pulumi vs CloudFormation, infrastructure strategy DO NOT USE FOR: specific tool syntax (use the sub-skills: terraform, pulumi, bicep, etc.)

Tyler-R-Kendrick 428a2c4 44 files · 47.6 KB Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

Infrastructure as Code

Overview

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) defines and manages cloud resources, containers, and deployment pipelines through declarative or imperative code rather than manual configuration. This skill covers the major IaC tools and their trade-offs.

Tool Landscape

Tool	Approach	Language	Scope
Terraform	Declarative	HCL	Multi-cloud infrastructure
Pulumi	Imperative	TypeScript, Python, Go, C#	Multi-cloud infrastructure
CloudFormation	Declarative	JSON/YAML	AWS-only infrastructure
Bicep	Declarative	Bicep DSL	Azure-only infrastructure
ARM	Declarative	JSON	Azure-only infrastructure
Kubernetes	Declarative	YAML	Container orchestration
Helm	Declarative (templated)	YAML + Go templates	Kubernetes package management
Docker	Declarative	Dockerfile	Container image builds
Crossplane	Declarative	YAML (K8s CRDs)	Kubernetes-native cloud provisioning
Dagger	Imperative	TypeScript, Python, Go	CI/CD pipelines as code

Choosing the Right Tool

Cloud Infrastructure

Multi-cloud or cloud-agnostic? Use Terraform or Pulumi
AWS-only? CloudFormation is native, or use Terraform/Pulumi
Azure-only? Bicep is the modern choice (replaces ARM templates)
Kubernetes-native approach? Crossplane extends the K8s control plane to cloud resources

Containers and Orchestration

Building images? Dockerfile with multi-stage builds
Running containers? Kubernetes manifests or Docker Compose
Packaging K8s apps? Helm charts for templated, distributable deployments

Pipelines

Programmable CI/CD? Dagger runs pipelines in containers with real language SDKs

General Best Practices

Store all IaC in version control alongside application code.
Use state management (Terraform state, Pulumi state, CloudFormation stacks) to track what's deployed.
Pin provider/module versions for reproducible deployments.
Use environments (dev/staging/prod) with parameterized configurations.
Validate changes before applying: terraform plan, pulumi preview, CloudFormation change sets.
Use secrets management — never hardcode credentials in IaC files.

---name: iacdescription: Use when working with Infrastructure as Code tools and platforms. Covers Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Bicep, ARM, Kubernetes, Helm, Docker, Crossplane, and Dagger. USE FOR: choosing IaC tools, comparing Terraform vs Pulumi vs CloudFormation, infrastructure strategy DO NOT USE FOR: specific tool syntax (use the sub-skills: terraform, pulumi, bicep, etc.)license: MIT---# Infrastructure as Code## OverviewInfrastructure as Code (IaC) defines and manages cloud resources, containers, and deployment pipelines through declarative or imperative code rather than manual configuration. This skill covers the major IaC tools and their trade-offs.## Tool Landscape| Tool | Approach | Language | Scope ||------|----------|----------|-------|| **Terraform** | Declarative | HCL | Multi-cloud infrastructure || **Pulumi** | Imperative | TypeScript, Python, Go, C# | Multi-cloud infrastructure || **CloudFormation** | Declarative | JSON/YAML | AWS-only infrastructure || **Bicep** | Declarative | Bicep DSL | Azure-only infrastructure || **ARM** | Declarative | JSON | Azure-only infrastructure || **Kubernetes** | Declarative | YAML | Container orchestration || **Helm** | Declarative (templated) | YAML + Go templates | Kubernetes package management || **Docker** | Declarative | Dockerfile | Container image builds || **Crossplane** | Declarative | YAML (K8s CRDs) | Kubernetes-native cloud provisioning || **Dagger** | Imperative | TypeScript, Python, Go | CI/CD pipelines as code |## Choosing the Right Tool### Cloud Infrastructure- **Multi-cloud or cloud-agnostic?** Use Terraform or Pulumi- **AWS-only?** CloudFormation is native, or use Terraform/Pulumi- **Azure-only?** Bicep is the modern choice (replaces ARM templates)- **Kubernetes-native approach?** Crossplane extends the K8s control plane to cloud resources### Containers and Orchestration- **Building images?** Dockerfile with multi-stage builds- **Running containers?** Kubernetes manifests or Docker Compose- **Packaging K8s apps?** Helm charts for templated, distributable deployments### Pipelines- **Programmable CI/CD?** Dagger runs pipelines in containers with real language SDKs## General Best Practices- Store all IaC in version control alongside application code.- Use state management (Terraform state, Pulumi state, CloudFormation stacks) to track what's deployed.- Pin provider/module versions for reproducible deployments.- Use environments (dev/staging/prod) with parameterized configurations.- Validate changes before applying: `terraform plan`, `pulumi preview`, CloudFormation change sets.- Use secrets management — never hardcode credentials in IaC files.

Frequently asked questions