What command is used to initialize a new Terraform configuration?

The command used to initialize a new Terraform configuration is "terraform init." This command is essential because it prepares the working directory containing the Terraform configuration files. It accomplishes several tasks, such as downloading the necessary provider plugins required for the configuration, setting up the backend for state management, and creating any necessary local directories to organize files.

When you run "terraform init," Terraform scans the configuration files in the directory to identify any required providers and modules. This initialization process ensures that Terraform is aware of and can work with all the components specified in your configuration.

The other commands mentioned do not serve this purpose. "terraform start" is not a valid command in Terraform, "terraform apply" is used to apply the changes specified in the configuration to reach the desired state, and "terraform setup" does not exist as a command in Terraform's CLI. Therefore, "terraform init" is the correct command to start working with a new Terraform configuration.