AWS CloudShell Demo

In this guide, you'll learn how to quickly work with AWS CloudShell, a cloud-based terminal pre-configured with your AWS credentials. CloudShell enables you to start using the AWS CLI immediately—eliminating the need for local setup and manual credential management.

Getting Started with AWS CloudShell

Begin by searching for and launching the CloudShell service. Once open, you’ll see a terminal session similar to the welcome screen below:

Executing AWS CLI Commands

CloudShell’s pre-configuration makes it ideal for quick tasks. For example, to list your S3 buckets, run the following command:

aws s3 ls

This command returns output similar to:

2023-12-21 17:13:29 aws-cloudtrail-logs-841869027733-c209767c
2024-02-15 04:21:03 aws-sam-cli-managed-default-samclisourcebucket-bcsnuqjtiqks
2023-10-16 02:53:15 cdk-hnb659fds-assets-841869027733-us-east-1
2023-10-16 06:12:15 templates-ij5jauotfkzo-us-east-1
2023-10-10 21:23:10 codepipeline-us-east-1-239009679739
2023-10-12 23:27:32 config-bucket-841869027733
2023-10-12 22:19:24 elasticbeanstalk-us-east-1-841869027733
2024-04-14 21:50:40 kedloud.cloudfront-demo

Because CloudShell takes care of configuration, there is no need to manually manage credentials or install the AWS CLI.

Handling CLI Errors

If a command is entered with an invalid subcommand, the CLI will return an error message. For example, an incorrect invocation might yield:

aws: error: argument subcommand: Invalid choice, valid choices are:
  ls      |      website
  cp      |      mv
  sync    |      rb
  mb      |
  presign

This helpful feedback assists in correcting the command usage on the fly.

Example Session Workflow

A typical CloudShell session might involve listing S3 buckets, clearing the terminal, and viewing local directory contents. Here’s an example session:

1. Listing S3 Buckets

   [cloudshell-user@ip-10-130-65-170 ~]$ aws s3 ls
   2023-12-11 17:13:25 aws-cloudtrail-logs-841860927337-c209767
   2022-02-15 21:18:30 aws-s3-all-managed-default-s3bucket-simlcusbucket-bcsmu3jiqxs
   2023-10-16 22:18:00 cdk-hnb659fds-eu-west-1-<hash>
   2023-10-10 20:14:37 config.bucket-<region>-us-east-1
   

2. Clearing the Terminal

   [cloudshell-user@ip-10-130-65-170 ~]$ clear
   

3. Listing Directory Contents

   [cloudshell-user@ip-10-130-65-170 ~]$ ls
   aws-cloudtrail-logs-841860927337-ca296761
   2023-10-16 22:18:00 elasticbeanstalk-us-west-1-841860927337
   2024-10-14 20:40:20 kodeloud.cloudfront-demo
   

4. Returning Prompt

   The terminal finally returns control to the user:

   [cloudshell-user@ip-10-130-65-170 ~]$