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Lab 13: AWS CLI/SDK Configuration Guide

A comprehensive, step-by-step guide to configure AWS CLI/SDK on your laptop and start using it.

Step 1: Install AWS CLI

  1. Download the installer: AWS CLI Download
  2. Run the installer:

msiexec.exe /i https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.msi
3. Verify installation:

aws --version
  1. Download and install:

curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg" -o "AWSCLIV2.pkg"
sudo installer -pkg AWSCLIV2.pkg -target /
2. Verify installation:

aws --version

sudo yum -y update
sudo yum -y install aws-cli
aws --version

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y awscli
aws --version

Step 2: Create AWS Access Keys

  1. Sign in to AWS Console: AWS Console
  2. Navigate to IAM: Search for IAM in the Services menu.

  3. Create or select a user:

    • New user → Users → Create user
    • Existing user → Click the username

  4. Create access keys:

    • Go to Security credentials tab
    • Click Create access key
    • Choose Command Line Interface (CLI)
    • Save credentials securely (CSV download or copy Access Key ID/Secret Key).

Step 3: Configure AWS CLI

Run:

aws configure

Enter the following when prompted:

  • AWS Access Key ID
  • AWS Secret Access Key
  • Default region name (e.g., us-east-1)
  • Default output format (json recommended)

Example:

AWS Access Key ID [None]: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY
Default region name [None]: us-east-1
Default output format [None]: json

Step 4: Verify Configuration

# Check identity
aws sts get-caller-identity

# List config
aws configure list

# Test with S3
aws s3 ls

Step 5: Using Named Profiles (Optional)

For multiple AWS accounts:

# Create a named profile
aws configure --profile myprofile

# Use the profile
aws s3 ls --profile myprofile

# Set default profile
export AWS_PROFILE=myprofile

Step 6: Basic AWS CLI Usage Examples

S3 Operations

# List buckets
aws s3 ls

# Create bucket
aws s3 mb s3://my-unique-bucket-name

# Upload file
aws s3 cp myfile.txt s3://my-unique-bucket-name/

# Download file
aws s3 cp s3://my-unique-bucket-name/myfile.txt ./downloaded-file.txt

EC2 Operations

# List instances
aws ec2 describe-instances

# List available AMIs
aws ec2 describe-images --owners self

# Create key pair
aws ec2 create-key-pair --key-name MyKeyPair

IAM Operations

# List users
aws iam list-users

# List policies
aws iam list-policies --scope Local

Step 7: AWS SDK Setup

Python (boto3)

pip install boto3

Node.js

npm install aws-sdk

Java (Maven dependency)

<dependency>
  <groupId>software.amazon.awssdk</groupId>
  <artifactId>aws-sdk-java</artifactId>
  <version>2.x.x</version>
</dependency>

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Verify credentials: aws configure list
  • Check permissions in IAM
  • Ensure system clock is synchronized
  • Watch for conflicting environment variables
  • Clear and reconfigure if needed: delete ~/.aws

Security Best Practices

  • Never share or commit access keys
  • Prefer IAM roles over static keys
  • Rotate access keys regularly
  • Follow least privilege principle
  • Enable MFA
  • Use AWS SSO for multiple accounts

Configuration File Locations

  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.aws\
  • macOS/Linux: ~/.aws/

Files created:

  • credentials → Contains access keys
  • config → Region and output format

✅ You are now ready to use AWS CLI and SDKs to manage AWS resources from your laptop!