What is AWS Command Line Interface (CLI)?

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AWS Command Line Interface (CLI)

We all know that associations are expanding their foundation footprints in the Cloud. Amazon Web Services or AWS is a leader amongst other cloud providers.

AWS generally gives two ways of infrastructure configurations:

  • AWS Command Line Interface: Generally, the script gives the flexibility to handle various AWS sources, infrastructures effectively. For instance, we can practice the script to deploy various resources without the requirement to go through a whole configuration wizard every time.
  • Using the AWS web console: AWS web console is a graphical technique to connect to many AWS resources, their modification, configuration, etc. It is very easy to use and does not need knowledge of scripting.

Let us get begin and get an overview of AWS Command Line Interface, also known as the AWS CLI and its configuration steps.

AWS Command Line Interface (CLI): An Overview

AWS
Source: AWS

The AWS Command Line Interface is an associated tool to maintain the AWS services. With just one device to download and configure, one can manage various AWS services from the command list and automate them by scripts.

With minimum configuration, the AWS CLI allows you to begin operating commands that perform functionality equivalent to that presented by the browser-based AWS Management Console from the command prompt in the terminal program:

Shells

If we dive from CLI into the lower part of an (OS) operating system, we will get the shell. Shell is a user interface capable of treating all instructions typed on CLI. It understands and interprets the commands and directs the operating system to complete tasks as demanded. Further, use standard shell programs like zsh, bash, and tcsh to control commands in Linux or macOS.

Aws-shell is a command-line shell application that gives comfort and productivity characteristics to assist both new and exceptional users of the AWS CLI. Key features comprise the following.

  • Fuzzy auto-completion
  • Dynamic in-line documentation
  • Execution of OS shell commands
  • Export executed commands to a text editor

In practice, there are various things that shell can practice, such as:

  • Operating with files and records
  • Availability and closing a program
  • Accomplishing computer methods
  • Conducting repetitive duties
Windows Shell

The default shell in the Windows is the Command Prompt or CMD.exe. In particular, Microsoft has employed the Command Prompt considering the old days, where MS-DOS was the principal (OS) operating system.

To start the Command Prompt, one can snap:

  • Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt.
  • Or, you can directly clasp Windows+R, then type CMD, and click enter.

The Command Prompt is robust that it can maintain various things within the Windows (OS) operating system:

  • Modifying listing directories, directories, content, etc
  • Managing networking like representing IP networks settings
  • Maintaining files like moving, renaming, etc
  • Handling media like renaming and formatting volumes

Now, let us understand how to utilize some syntax in the command prompt:

Changing directory
To operate to a particular directory or envelope in the command prompt, practice CD [path]. Make certain that you combine space before the expected path. For instance: CD C:\Program Files
Renaming a file
To rename a folder within a particular folder, practice REN [drive:][path] [source] [target].If you specify the location, that indicates the renamed file will be stored in the identical folder. For instance: REN d:untitled.txt untitled1.txt
Deleting a file
To remove a file in the command prompt utilize DEL [filename]. If you need to add the choices like force deletion, you can add them before the file title. For instance: DEL /F untitled.txt
Renaming a Volume Disk
To update the name of a particular volume disk, utilize LABEL [drive:][new volume name]. Put in mind that you can utilize up to 32 figures on the NTFS volume and 11 on FAT volume. For instance: D:\ > LABEL d:MyData.

Bash

Bash or we can say Bourne Again SHell was produced by the Free Software Foundation. Also, it is a kind of shell practiced in MacOS and various Linux distributions. Nevertheless, you can likewise authenticate bash Linux on Windows 10. In Linux, Bash shell is one of the various shells the Linux users can practice. The different types are Ksh shell, Tchs shell, and Zsh shell.

While, in MacOS, the presentation is the Terminal.app. To operate this program, go to Application -> Utilities -> Terminal. Or, one can easily type a terminal utilizing Spotlight search. Once the terminal’s open, you can begin transcribing a command. Essentially, most commands include the argument, the command itself, and the option.

While there are various commands one can utilize with Command Line Interface, they all fall into 2 categories:

  • The commands that manage the methods
  • The commands that manage the files

All (infrastructure as a service) IaaS AWS management, administration, and roles in the AWS Management Console are available in the AWS CLI and AWS API. New AWS IaaS (infrastructure as a service) features and services give complete AWS Management Console functionality by the API and CLI at launch or inside 180 days of launch.

The AWS CLI gives direct passage to the public APIs of AWS assistance. We can seek a service’s abilities with the AWS CLI, and generate shell scripts to maintain our resources. In extension, to the low-level, API-equivalent commands, various AWS services give customizations for the AWS Command Line Interface. Customizations can involve higher-level instructions that explain utilizing a service with a complicated API.

Install AWS CLI on Windows operating system

One can install the AWS Command Line Interface on Windows utilizing a standalone installer and also a PIP package manager for Python. It is a comfortable way to exercise an MSI installation combination for its connection without installing any supplementary prerequisites.

AWS CLI version 2 is the very latest version of it and maintains all characteristics of AWS. We can additionally install and use version 1, but it is currently accessible to give backward compatibility. Nevertheless, you must have either version 1 or 2 installed in the system. Also, we can install Command Line Interface version 2 on OS Windows XP or later. It is also obtainable only in 64-bit format.

AWS CLI versions

The AWS Command Line Interface is obtainable in 2 versions:

  • Version 2.x – The current, commonly accessible release of the AWS CLI that is used in the production environments.
  • Version 1.x – The ere version of the AWS Command Line Interface that is accessible for backward compatibility.

Why Would We use CLI over GUI?

The GUI was generated within the OS (operating system) as soon as the mouse became a new input device to work the computer. Here, we at Testpreptraining would like to strike some causes of why you would practice CLI over GUI.

  • Less Resource– The text-based program requires very few resources of your computer. This intends that with CLI you can do related tasks with the merest resources.
  • High Precision– One can utilize a particular command to target particular destinations with comfort. As long as you don’t transcribe the incorrect command, it will work like a magic. Once you receive the basics, drafting syntax is not as difficult as you might think.
  • Repetitive Tasks Friendly– GUI has grown well over the ages. But, the operating system may not provide all the menus and buttons to complete all tasks. One of the causes is safety. This overwhelmed you if you have to do repeated tasks. For instance, when you have to manage numbers of files within a folder, CLI allows you to utilize a single command to do automate the repetition quickly.
  • Powerful– Most operating systems today prevent you from messing up the system’s core process. Windows has system protection and MacOS has SIP (System Integrity Protection). You won’t be able to perform certain tasks which are system protected. However, with CLI, you will have full control over your system.
To Conclude!

The most operating system still gives CLI with GUI shows that CLI is essential. Also, practicing CLI provides more emphatic points than GUI because:

  • It requires fewer resources
  • Also, guarantees high precision
  • It manages repetitive tasks efficiently

We at Testpreptraining hope that this article helped you to understand all aspects of the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI). Stay safe and keep reading!

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