AWS CloudShell FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about this AWS service.
For more FAQs focused on security, see AWS CloudShell security FAQs.
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Can I install software that's not available in the shell environment?
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Can I restrict the actions that users can do in AWS CloudShell?
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Can I increase the limit that determines when AWS CloudShell times out because of user inactivity?
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Can I access AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application from the home screen?
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How can I launch AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application?
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Can I split the AWS CloudShell tab display into multiple tabs on the AWS Console Mobile Application?
How do I get started using AWS CloudShell?
You can get started
by
launching AWS CloudShell in a few steps from the AWS Management Console. To do this, sign in to the console
using your AWS account or IAM credentials at https://console.aws.amazon.com/console/home
For more information, see Tutorial: Getting started with AWS CloudShell.
What do I need to access AWS CloudShell?
Because you access AWS CloudShell from the AWS Management Console, you must be an IAM user who can provide a valid account alias or ID, user name, and password.
To launch AWS CloudShell on the console, you need the IAM permissions that the attached policy provides. For more information, see Managing AWS CloudShell access and usage with IAM policies.
Which AWS Regions is AWS CloudShell available in?
For a list of supported AWS Regions and the associated service endpoints, see the AWS CloudShell page in the Amazon Web Services General Reference.
What types of shells can I use in AWS CloudShell?
In AWS CloudShell, you can run commands using the Bash shell, PowerShell, or the Z shell. To switch shells, enter the shell name that you want to use using the following format on the command prompt:
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bash: Use the Bash shell -
pwsh: Use PowerShell -
zsh: Use the Z shell
What web browsers can I use with AWS CloudShell?
AWS CloudShell supports the four most recent versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari.
What software is pre-installed on my shell environment?
With the shell that's created for AWS CloudShell sessions, you can switch seamlessly between your preferred command-line shells (Bash, PowerShell, and Z shell). You can also have access to pre-installed tools and utilities. These include Make, pip, sudo, tar, tmux, Vim, Wget, and Zip.
The shell environment is pre-configured with support for most major software languages. For example, you can use the shell environment to run Node.js and Python projects without needing to first perform runtime installations. PowerShell users can use the .NET Core runtime.
You can add files that were created using the shell or uploaded with the shell interface to a version-controlled repository managed using a pre-installed version of git.
For more information, see Pre-installed software.
Can I install software that's not available in the shell environment?
Yes, AWS CloudShell users have sudo privileges and can install software from the command line. For more information, see Installing third-party software on your shell environment.
Can I restrict the actions that users can do in AWS CloudShell?
Yes, you can control what actions users can do in AWS CloudShell. For example, you can allow users to access AWS CloudShell but prevent them from uploading or downloading files within the shell environment. Or, alternatively, you can completely prevent users from accessing AWS CloudShell. For more information, see Managing AWS CloudShell access and usage with IAM policies.
How can I move data from my home directory if I want to change the AWS Region where I'm using AWS CloudShell?
You can move your AWS CloudShell data from one AWS Region to another Region by downloading the contents of your home directory in one Region and then uploading the contents to the home directory in another Region. For more information, see Tutorial: Copying multiple files between your local machine and AWS CloudShell.
Can I increase the limit that determines when AWS CloudShell times out because of user inactivity?
If you don't interact with AWS CloudShell using your keyboard or pointer, your shell session automatically ends after approximately 20–30 minutes. Running processes don't count as interactions. Because CloudShell is designed for focused, task-based activities, there are no plans at present to increase this timeout limit.
If you want to perform terminal-based tasks using an AWS service with more flexible timeouts, we recommend using our cloud-based IDE, AWS Cloud9, or launching and connecting to an Amazon EC2 instance.
Can I access AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application from the home screen?
Yes, you can access AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application by logging in to the Console Mobile Application. For more information, see AWS Console Mobile Application User Guide.
How can I launch AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application?
You can launch AWS CloudShell using one of the following methods:
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Select the AWS CloudShell icon at the bottom of the navigation bar.
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Select the AWS CloudShell on the Services menu.
Can I use modifier keys on my iOS and Android keyboards when using AWS CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile Application?
Yes, you can use modifier keys on your iOS and Android keyboards. For more information, see AWS Console Mobile Application User Guide.
Can I split the AWS CloudShell tab display into multiple tabs on the AWS Console Mobile Application?
No, currently you can't run multiple AWS CloudShell tabs on your mobile application.
