AWS launches CloudShell, a web-based shell for command-line access to AWS

AWS today launched CloudShell, a new, fully featured web-based shell environment, based on Amazon Linux 2, for developers who want to be able to use some of their favorite command-line tools — and scripts — right inside the AWS Console.

CloudShell, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels explained in his announcement today, is a new browser-based service that will give developers access to a Linux console. When users start a new CloudShell session, it will automatically be pre-configured to have the same API permissions as your user in the AWS Console.

“This means you don’t have to manage multiple profiles or API credentials for different test and production environments like you would normally have if you worked in a terminal,” Vogels said. “With these credentials automatically forwarded, it is simple to start a new CloudShell session and use the pre-installed AWS tools right away.”

All of the usual AWS command-line tools will also be pre-installed and ready to go, in addition to Bash, Python, Node.js, PowerShell, VIM, git and more. That also means you’ll be able to install your own favorite tools, too. The OS won’t persist between sessions, so if you break something, you can just restart, but you will get up to 1GB of persistent storage to work with.

Users can have up to 10 concurrent shells running in each region for free. Developers who need more will have to request an increase.

The new service is now available in AWS’s U.S. East (N. Virginia), U.S. East (Ohio), U.S. West (Oregon), Europe (Ireland) and Asia Pacific (Tokyo) regions, with more to follow.

It’s worth noting that AWS competitors Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure already offer similar services as well — and Google also calls it Cloud Shell, but with a space between the two words.