How to Set Up an AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) Profile for an IAM User
You may use Terraform to construct an AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) profile for an IAM user by following these steps:
- Install and configure Terraform:
Terraform can be downloaded and installed via the official website (https://www.terraform.io/downloads.html).
Add the Terraform binary to the PATH variable on your machine.
Run Terraform — version to verify the installation.
2. Set up your Terraform project as follows:
Create a new Terraform project directory.
In your terminal, navigate to the project directory.
3. Initialize the Terraform project:
Start the project by running terraform init.
This command configures the backend and downloads the required providers.
4. New Terraform configuration file creation:
Create a new file with a .tf the extension (e.g., main.tf) in your project directory Open the file with a text editor.
5. Define the AWS provider:
Inside main.tf, add the following code to define the AWS provider:
6. Making an IAM user:
To create an IAM user, add the following code to main.tf
7. For the IAM user, create an access key:
To create an access key for the IAM user, add the following code tomain.tf:
8. Output the access key details:
Add the following code to the main. tf to output the information about the access key:
9. Then you can save the changes.
10. Use the Terraform configuration:
Run Terraform apply to create the resources specified in your setup.
Terraform will display a summary of the planned operations and request confirmation.
To continue, type yes and hit Enter.
11. Get the access key information:
Terraform will report the access key details after successfully applying the configuration.
Take note of the terminal’s access_key_id and secret_access_key values.
12. Set up AWS CLI with an IAM user profile:
Open your terminal and type aws configure — profile my_iam_user (change my_iam_user with the profile name of your choice).
Enter the access_key_id and secret_access_key from the previous step.
When prompted, provide the desired default region and output format.
You have now successfully used Terraform to generate an AWS CLI profile for the IAM user. The profile can be used with the AWS CLI by passing the — profile flag followed by the profile name.
Example usage:
Using the supplied IAM user profile, this command displays the contents of an S3 bucket.
Remember to safeguard your access keys and adhere to recommended practices for IAM user management.
Conclusion:
To set up an AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) profile for an IAM user, follow these steps:
1. Install and configure Terraform: Download and install Terraform from the official website.
2. Set up your Terraform project by creating a new directory, initializing the project, creating a new configuration file, defining the AWS provider, creating an IAM user, and creating an access key.
3. Use the Terraform configuration: Run Terraform apply to create resources specified in your setup, and get access key information.
4. Set up AWS CLI with an IAM user profile: Open your terminal and type aws configure-profile my_iam_user. Enter the access_key_id and secret_access_key values, and provide the desired default region and output format.
Now, you can use the profile with the AWS CLI by passing the -profile flag followed by the profile name. Remember to safeguard your access keys and adhere to recommended practices for IAM user management.
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