Set Up Your AWS Workshop Toolkit

Configure your AWS account, CLI, Git, and VS Code for cloud workshops.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Imagine showing up to a hands-on workshop and spending the first 30 minutes fighting with installs while everyone else is already deploying. Getting your tools ready in advance means you can focus on learning, not troubleshooting.

In this project, you will set up the complete development toolkit needed for the Surviving Regional Failures on AWS workshop. You will create an AWS account, configure command-line access, and install the tools you need to deploy infrastructure from your terminal.

What You'll Build

By the end, you will run a single command and watch your AWS account respond with your identity details, proving every piece of your toolkit is wired together and ready for the workshop.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A verified AWS account with admin-level IAM access you can confirm from your terminal in one command.
  • The AWS CLI configured and authenticated, returning your account ID on demand whenever you run aws sts get-caller-identity.
  • Git installed with your identity configured, ready to clone workshop repos. VS Code installed and launchable from your terminal to explore Infrastructure as Code templates.
  • Secret Mission: Secure your AWS account by enabling MFA on your root user.

Are there any prerequisites?

None. This project walks you through setting up everything from scratch. You just need a computer with internet access, a valid email address, and a payment method for AWS account verification (you will not be charged for Free Tier usage).

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to set up and why showing up to the workshop with a working environment matters.

Create Your AWS Account

Every command in the Surviving Regional Failures workshop deploys infrastructure to AWS. Without an active account, none of those deployment commands will work.

Account activation can take up to 24 hours after sign-up, so this is the very first thing to tackle. In this step, you'll create your AWS account and optionally set up a GitHub account for exploring the workshop repository.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create and activate an AWS account on the Free Tier.
  • Optionally create a GitHub account for exploring the workshop repo.
  • Sign in to the AWS Management Console and confirm your account is active.
Sign up for AWS

AWS offers a Free Tier that gives you access to core services at no cost. The workshop stays within these free limits.

  • Open https://signin.aws.amazon.com/signup in your browser.
  • Enter your email address in the Root user email address field.
  • Enter a name for your account in the AWS account name field.
  • Click Verify email address.
  • Check your email for a verification code from AWS.
  • Enter the verification code on the sign-up page.
  • Create a strong root user password.

What are the password requirements?

Your root user password must be 8 to 128 characters long. It must include at least three of the following: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

It cannot be the same as your account name or email address. Use a password manager to generate and store something strong.

  • Select Personal for the account type.
  • Fill in your contact information.
  • Check the box to accept the AWS Customer Agreement.
  • Enter a valid credit or debit card as your payment method.

Your card will not be charged

AWS requires a payment method on file, but you will not be charged for Free Tier usage. The workshop stays well within Free Tier limits.

  • Choose SMS or Voice call for identity verification.
  • Enter the PIN code when prompted.
  • Select the Basic Support plan (free).
  • Click Complete sign up.

How long does activation take?

Account activation typically takes a few minutes but can take up to 24 hours. Check your email for a confirmation message from AWS.

If you are completing this project the day before the workshop, start early to allow time for activation.

Once you receive the activation confirmation email, it is time to verify your account works. What do you expect to see when you sign in for the first time?

You should see the Console Home dashboard load with a search bar at the top and shortcuts to AWS services. This confirms your account is active and ready.

Seeing an error when signing in?

If you see a message saying your account is still being activated, wait and try again in 30 minutes. Activation can take up to 24 hours in rare cases.

If your password is rejected, use the Forgot password? link on the sign-in page to reset it.

Still stuck? Help me troubleshoot my AWS sign-in issue.

Create a GitHub account (optional)

The workshop clones a public repository via HTTPS, so a GitHub account is not strictly required. However, having one is useful for exploring the codebase and forking the repo for your portfolio.

If you already have a GitHub account, skip ahead to the end of this step.

  • Open https://github.com/signup in your browser.
  • Enter your email address.
  • Create a password.
  • Choose a username.
  • Complete the verification puzzle when prompted.
  • Enter the launch code sent to your email.
  • Select the Free plan when asked.
  • Click the confirmation link GitHub sends to your email to verify your address.

What are GitHub's password requirements?

Your password must be at least 15 characters long, or at least 8 characters if it includes a number and a lowercase letter.

After verifying your email, you should see the GitHub dashboard. Your account is ready.

Your AWS account is live and verified. Next up, you'll create an IAM user with the admin permissions that the workshop's deployment scripts require.

Set Up Your IAM User

Your AWS account is live. Now you need a way for tools on your computer to talk to AWS on your behalf.

The workshop runs deployment commands from your terminal using the AWS CLI. The CLI needs credentials that belong to an IAM user, not the root account. In this step, you will create a dedicated IAM user with admin permissions and generate the access keys the CLI requires.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create an IAM user with administrator access.
  • Generate access keys for programmatic CLI use.
Create an IAM user with admin access

Your root account has unrestricted access to every AWS service and billing setting. Using it for day-to-day work is a security risk. Instead, you will create a separate IAM user with only the permissions the workshop needs.

  • In the AWS Management Console, type IAM in the search bar at the top of the page.
  • Click IAM under Services in the dropdown.
  • In the left navigation pane, click Users.
  • Click Create user.
  • Enter workshop-admin in the User name field.
  • Click Next.

What is IAM?

IAM stands for Identity and Access Management. It lets you create users, groups, and permission policies that control who can do what inside your AWS account.

By creating a separate IAM user for the workshop, you avoid exposing your all-powerful root credentials to command-line tools.

  • Select Attach policies directly.
  • In the search box under Permissions policies, type AdministratorAccess.
  • Select the checkbox next to AdministratorAccess.
  • Click Next.
  • Click Create user.

You should see a success page confirming that the user was created.

Don't see the Create user button?

Make sure you are on the Review page (the final step of the wizard). If you are still on the permissions step, click Next to advance.

Help me troubleshoot creating an IAM user in the AWS console.

Generate access keys for the CLI

Access keys are the credentials your AWS CLI uses to authenticate. Each key pair has a public Access Key ID and a private Secret Access Key.

  • On the success page, click on the user name workshop-admin to open the user details page.
  • Select the Security credentials tab.
  • In the Access keys section, click Create access key.
  • For the use case, select Command Line Interface (CLI).
  • Check the confirmation checkbox at the bottom of the page.
  • Click Next.
  • In the Description tag value field, enter AWS CLI.
  • Click Create access key.

You are now on the retrieve access key page. This is the only time AWS shows your Secret Access Key.

  • Copy the Access Key ID displayed on the page and paste it into a password manager or a temporary text file.
  • Click Show to reveal your Secret Access Key.
  • Copy the Secret Access Key and save it in the same secure location.
  • Click Done.

AWS only shows your Secret Access Key once

After you leave this page, you can never view or download the Secret Access Key again. If you lose it, you must delete the key pair and create a new one.

Double-check you have both values saved before clicking Done.

Accidentally closed the page without saving?

Navigate back to the user's Security credentials tab, delete the access key you just created, and repeat the steps above to generate a new one.

Help me recover from a lost AWS access key.

Verify your IAM user is ready

Before you move on, confirm that everything is set up correctly. What do you expect to see on the IAM Users list page now?

  • In the left navigation pane of the IAM console, click Users.

You should see workshop-admin listed in the users table. Click on the user name and confirm that AdministratorAccess appears under the Permissions tab.

Your IAM user is ready and your credentials are saved. Next up, you will install the AWS CLI and wire those credentials into your terminal so you can talk to AWS with a single command.

Install and Configure Your Tools

Your IAM user is ready with admin access and you have your access keys saved. Now you need the tools that let you talk to AWS from your terminal.

The workshop runs deployment scripts that depend on the AWS CLI and Git. Without these installed and configured, you cannot execute any workshop commands. In this step, you will install the AWS CLI, Git, and VS Code on your machine.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Install and configure the AWS CLI with your IAM user credentials.
  • Install Git and set your global identity.
  • Install VS Code and confirm it launches from your terminal.
Install the AWS CLI

The AWS CLI is the command-line tool that lets you interact with AWS services directly from your terminal. You need version 2 or later for the workshop.

  • Open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard.
  • Check if the AWS CLI is already installed by running this command:
aws --version

✔️ I see version 2.x.x

Your AWS CLI is ready to go. Skip ahead to the configure step below.

ⓧ I see version 1.x.x

You have an older version that is not compatible with the workshop. Install version 2 alongside it by running these commands:

  • Download and install the AWS CLI v2 by running these commands:
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install
  • Close your terminal and open a new one by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T again.
  • Confirm the new version by running:
aws --version

You should see output starting with aws-cli/2. followed by a version number.

ⓧ Command not found

The AWS CLI is not installed yet.

  • Download and install the AWS CLI v2 by running these commands:
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install
  • Confirm installation by running:
aws --version

You should see output starting with aws-cli/2. followed by a version number.

Still seeing command not found?

Make sure the install script finished without errors. The AWS CLI installs to /usr/local/bin by default. Try closing your terminal and opening a fresh one so your shell picks up the new path.

help me troubleshoot why aws --version is not working after installing the AWS CLI v2 on Linux

Now that the AWS CLI is installed, you need to connect it to your IAM user credentials. The aws configure command is interactive. It prompts you for four pieces of information one at a time.

  • Configure the AWS CLI with your IAM user credentials by running:
aws configure

What does aws configure ask for?

The command prompts you for four values, one per line. Enter them exactly as follows:

  • AWS Access Key ID - paste the Access Key ID you saved from the previous step.
  • AWS Secret Access Key - paste the Secret Access Key you saved from the previous step.
  • Default region name - type us-east-1.
  • Default output format - type json.

Before you verify, think about what you expect to see. If your credentials are configured correctly, what should AWS return when you ask it who you are?

  • Verify your credentials are working by running:
aws sts get-caller-identity

You should see a JSON response containing your Account ID, a user ARN that includes workshop-admin, and a UserId.

Seeing an error instead of JSON?

If you see Unable to locate credentials, the aws configure step did not save properly. Run aws configure again and make sure you paste the keys without extra spaces.

If you see InvalidClientTokenId, double-check you pasted the correct Access Key ID from the previous step.

help me fix an error from aws sts get-caller-identity after running aws configure

Install Git

Git is the version control tool that lets you clone the workshop repository to your machine. You also need it configured with your identity so any commits you make are attributed to you.

  • Check if Git is already installed by running:
git --version

✔️ I see a version number

Git is already installed. Skip ahead to configuring your identity below.

ⓧ Command not found

Git is not installed yet.

  • Install Git by running:
sudo apt install git-all

On Fedora or RHEL?

If you are on a Fedora or RHEL-based distribution, use sudo dnf install git-all instead.

  • Confirm installation by running:
git --version

You should see a version number like git version 2.x.x.

Install failed or package not found?

Run sudo apt update first to refresh your package lists, then try the install command again.

help me install Git on Linux when apt install git-all is failing

Now configure Git with your name and email so your commits are attributed to you.

  • Set your Git identity by running these two commands:
git config --global user.name "[[YOURNAME="Your Name"]]"
git config --global user.email "[[YOUREMAIL="your-email@example.com"]]"

What do these commands do?

These set your name and email globally for all Git repositories on your machine. Every commit you make will carry this identity. Use the same email you used for your GitHub account if you created one.

  • Verify Git is configured by running:
git --version

You should see a version number confirming Git is ready.

Install VS Code

VS Code is the code editor you will use to explore Infrastructure as Code templates during the workshop. You will install it via Snap, which works across most Linux distributions and keeps the app up to date automatically.

  • Check if VS Code is already installed by running:
code --version

✔️ I see a version number

VS Code is already installed. Skip ahead to the launch verification below.

ⓧ Command not found

VS Code is not installed yet.

  • Install VS Code via Snap by running:
sudo snap install --classic code
  • Confirm installation by running:
code --version

You should see a version number confirming VS Code is installed.

Snap not available on your system?

If snap is not available, visit the official VS Code Linux install page at https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux for alternative methods (.deb or .rpm packages).

help me install VS Code on Linux without using Snap

Time to confirm everything works end to end. What do you expect to see when you launch VS Code from the terminal?

  • Launch VS Code from your terminal by running:
code .

VS Code should open a new window showing the current directory in its Explorer sidebar.

VS Code did not open?

Close your terminal and open a fresh one with Ctrl+Alt+T, then try code . again. A fresh shell session picks up newly installed commands.

help me troubleshoot why the code command does not launch VS Code from my Linux terminal

Your toolkit is fully wired together. Every tool the workshop depends on is installed, configured, and proven to work from your terminal. You are ready to walk into the Surviving Regional Failures on AWS workshop and start deploying immediately.

Secret mission

Secure Your AWS Account with MFA

Your root account has unrestricted access to every AWS service. Without MFA, anyone who obtains your root email and password has full control of your account and billing. Ready to lock it down?

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project runs entirely locally and on the AWS Free Tier, so there are no ongoing costs as long as you stay within Free Tier limits.

Resources you used:

  • AWS account (Free Tier, no charges unless you deploy resources beyond the free tier limits).
  • IAM user workshop-admin with AdministratorAccess policy (no cost).
  • AWS CLI v2 (local installation, free).
  • AWS CLI configuration (~/.aws/ directory with credentials and config).
  • Git (local installation, free).
  • VS Code (local installation, free).
  • GitHub account (optional, free plan).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are heading into the Surviving Regional Failures on AWS workshop soon.

  • Your AWS account, IAM user, and local tools are all ready for the workshop.
  • No resources are running, so there are no ongoing charges.
  • Your access key remains active and your CLI is configured for immediate use.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Deactivate your access key so it cannot be used while you are away. You can reactivate it later when you are ready for the workshop.

  • Open the IAM console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/.
  • In the left navigation pane, click Users.
  • Click workshop-admin to open the user details page.
  • Select the Security credentials tab.
  • In the Access keys section, choose Actions, then choose Deactivate.
  • Confirm by selecting Deactivate.

When you are ready to resume, return to the same page and choose Actions then Activate to re-enable the key.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and start fresh. Only choose this if you are certain you will not attend the workshop or want to redo this setup later.

You will need to redo this entire project if you delete everything

Deleting your IAM user and access keys means you will need to repeat this setup project before attending the workshop. Only proceed if you are sure.

Delete the IAM user and access key:

  • Open the IAM console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/.
  • In the left navigation pane, click Users.
  • Select the checkbox next to workshop-admin.
  • Click Delete and confirm deletion by typing the user name when prompted.

Remove the AWS CLI:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/aws
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/aws_completer
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/aws-cli

Remove your AWS CLI configuration:

rm -rf ~/.aws/

Remove Git:

sudo apt remove git-all

Remove VS Code:

sudo snap remove code

Close your AWS account (optional, irreversible):

  • Sign in to the AWS Management Console as the root user.
  • Click your account name in the top-right corner and select Account.
  • Scroll to the bottom of the Account Settings page and select Close Account.
  • Read the warnings carefully and confirm closure. AWS allows a 90-day recovery window before permanent deletion.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You did it. Your local development environment is fully wired up to AWS and ready for the Surviving Regional Failures workshop.

You've learned how to:

  • Create and activate an AWS account with an IAM user configured for admin-level programmatic access.
  • Install and configure the AWS CLI, verifying your credentials return your account details on demand.
  • Install Git and VS Code so you can clone repos and explore Infrastructure as Code templates during the workshop.
  • (Secret Mission) Secured your root account with MFA to prevent unauthorized access to your AWS account and billing.

You are ready to walk into the workshop and start deploying immediately.

Ready to quiz yourself?