| name | use-aws-mini-stack-emulator |
| description | Uses lightweight AWS stack emulation for faster local Terraform iteration. Defines what can be safely validated locally, compatibility caveats, and the handoff boundary to real-AWS verification and reviewed plan/apply flows.
|
| version | 1.1.0 |
| tags | ["devops","terraform","aws","local-testing"] |
| resources | ["emulator-compatibility-matrix.md"] |
| vendor_support | {"claude":"native","opencode":"native","copilot":"prompt-inject","codex":"prompt-inject","gemini":"prompt-inject"} |
Use AWS Mini Stack Emulator Skill
Use local AWS emulation to accelerate Terraform feedback loops where appropriate.
Always pair this skill with terraform-risk-playbook. That skill is
authoritative for the response contract, failure-mode classification,
version/runtime guards, validation chain, and rollback notes.
Step 1 - Select Emulator Scope
Use emulator-compatibility-matrix.md to decide what is safe to validate locally.
Classify each planned check as:
- emulator-suitable
- partial confidence only
- requires real AWS
Step 2 - Configure Provider and Endpoints for Local Runs
Keep local endpoint wiring isolated from production configuration. Use explicit
variables or per-environment override files for emulator endpoint settings.
Use local state or terraform init -backend=false for emulator-first CI checks
to avoid touching shared remote backends.
Step 3 - Validate Fast Feedback Cases
Good emulator targets:
- syntax and interpolation mistakes
- module wiring and basic dependencies
- selected resource contract checks where behavior is reliably emulated
Step 4 - Document Gaps and Escalate
Always document unsupported services/behaviors and escalate those tests to real
AWS validation before merge.
Step 5 - Keep Scope Boundary Explicit
This skill is for local acceleration only. It does not replace real AWS plan/apply
verification for production-impacting infrastructure.
It cannot prove:
- production backend locking or state migration behavior
- IAM or service semantics that emulators do not model faithfully
- reviewed plan artifact and approval parity in CI
- final confidence for production-impacting provider/runtime upgrades
Avoid overlap with docker-compose-local-setup: this skill covers Terraform + AWS
emulation behavior, not generic multi-service compose orchestration design.