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In this article, we explore how to interact with AWS and efficiently manage resources using the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI). While the AWS Management Console provides a graphical interface, the CLI offers speed and simplicity, making it a preferred choice for engineers and power users.
For installation instructions, visit the AWS CLI Installation Guide. Once installed, you can begin using it with just a few terminal commands.

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Introduction to AWS CLI

The AWS CLI comes with built-in help functionality. By appending the word help to any command, you can access detailed documentation, including descriptions, synopses, and available global options. For example, to access the CLI help documentation, run: 
aws help
You can also specify the working region directly in your commands using the --region <region-name> flag, eliminating the need to manually configure it through the console. Below is an image that demonstrates a terminal window displaying the AWS CLI documentation:
The image shows a terminal window with AWS CLI documentation, including a description, synopsis, and global options for managing AWS services.

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Command Structure and Service Exploration

AWS CLI commands follow a simple structure:
  1. Start with the keyword aws
  2. Include any global options (e.g., --region)
  3. Specify the primary service (such as s3)
  4. Provide subcommands or additional parameters/flags
For instance, to explore the S3 service—a cloud storage service comparable to Dropbox or Google Drive—type: 
aws s3
This command displays a list of available S3-related commands along with other services, as shown in the image below:
The image shows a terminal interface with AWS CLI configuration options and a list of available services.
To view detailed information about S3 commands (or any command), append help to your command. For example, to learn more about the mb (make bucket) command, execute:
aws s3 mb help

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Creating and Managing S3 Buckets

The mb command allows you to create a new S3 bucket. Running the following command creates a bucket named mybucket: 
aws s3 mb s3://mybucket
Example output: 
make_bucket: s3://mybucket
You can also specify a region when creating a bucket: 
aws s3 mb s3://mybucket --region us-west-1
Example output: 
make_bucket: s3://mybucket
Now, let’s create a bucket named kodekloud-cli-demo by running: 
aws s3 mb s3://kodekloud-cli-demo
If successful, you will see the following confirmation: 
make_bucket: kodekloud-cli-demo
To verify that your bucket was created, list all available buckets with: 
aws s3 ls
Expected output: 
2023-04-07 03:39:04 kk-access-point
2023-05-01 21:00:20 kodekloud-cli-demo

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Additional S3 Commands

Here are a few more AWS S3 commands useful for various tasks:
CommandDescriptionExample
SyncSynchronize local files with an S3 bucketaws s3 sync /tmp/foo s3://bucket/
CopyRecursively copy files, excluding specific patternsaws s3 cp /tmp/foo s3://bucket/ --recursive --exclude ".git/*"
CopyRecursively copy files while excluding files that start with specific charactersaws s3 cp /tmp/foo s3://bucket/ --recursive --exclude "ba*"
Listing your buckets again confirms their existence: 
aws s3 ls
2023-04-07 03:39:04 kk-access-point
2023-05-01 21:00:20 kodekloud-cli-demo

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Summary

The AWS CLI is a powerful tool that allows you to manage AWS services directly from the terminal. Its command-line syntax, built-in help, and scriptable options provide efficiency and flexibility that can significantly boost productivity compared to the graphical AWS Console. Whether you prefer the visual interface of the AWS Console or the rapid, scriptable commands of the CLI, AWS ensures you have the tools necessary to manage your cloud resources with ease. For more detailed information, consider exploring: Harness the power of the AWS CLI and streamline your cloud operations today!

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