AWS Cloudshell

In this section, we’re going to talk about an alternative to using your local terminal to run commands against AWS.

And this alternative is called CloudShell.

📍 Locating CloudShell

First, let’s locate CloudShell in the AWS console.

• You’ll find it in the top-right corner of your screen

• It appears as the CloudShell icon

⚠️ If you don’t see it:

❌ CloudShell isn't available in every region, so switch to one that supports it if you want to follow along that way — but using your local terminal instead works just as well.

🚀 Launching CloudShell

Now, go ahead and launch CloudShell.

• It may take a few seconds to initialize your environment

Once ready, you’ll have a fully functional terminal in your browser.

⚙️ Running Commands in CloudShell

✅ Inside CloudShell, you can run AWS CLI commands directly.

🔹 Example: Check AWS CLI Version

aws --version

🔹 Example: Run an AWS Command

aws iam list-users

✅ This works immediately because:

• CloudShell automatically uses the credentials of your logged-in AWS account

• No manual configuration is needed

CloudShell runs commands using your current AWS account credentials automatically, so everything just works — no setup needed.

🌍 Default Region Behavior

By default:

• CloudShell uses the region you are currently logged into

👉 This means:

• All your commands will run in that region unless specified otherwise

📁 Working with Files (Persistence)

Now let’s create a simple file.

echo "test" > demo.txt

This will:

• Create a file called demo.txt

• Store the text test inside it

💡 Important:

• Even if you restart CloudShell

• The file will still be there

✅ CloudShell provides persistent storage

📥 Uploading & Downloading Files

CloudShell also allows you to manage files easily:

• 📥 Download files to your local machine

• 📤 Upload files into CloudShell

Download File

• You can download demo.txt directly from the interface

• Download with Filepath

  use pwd to know the path

• Download with filename only

🎨 Customizing CloudShell

You can configure your environment based on your preferences:

• Change font size (small, medium, large)

• Switch between light and dark themes

• Resize the terminal

💡 This helps improve your workflow and readability

🖥️ Using Multiple Tabs & Split Views

CloudShell supports advanced usage:

• Open multiple tabs

• Split the terminal into columns

👉 This allows you to:

• Run multiple commands at the same time

• Work more efficiently