Setting Up AWS CLI and eksctl on Linux or MacOS

Posted by yadi at Sunday, March 16, 2025 9:01 AM

A comprehensive guide to installing and configuring AWS CLI and eksctl on Linux and MacOS systems for managing AWS services and EKS clusters

Setting Up AWS CLI and eksctl on Linux or MacOS

Table of Contents

Introduction

Managing AWS resources efficiently requires the right tools. The AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) and eksctl are two essential tools for anyone working with AWS services, especially Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service).

AWS CLI provides a unified command-line interface to interact with AWS services, allowing you to control multiple AWS services directly from the terminal instead of using the AWS Management Console. Meanwhile, eksctl is a simple CLI tool specifically designed for creating and managing Kubernetes clusters on Amazon EKS.

In this tutorial, I'll walk you through the installation and setup process for both tools on Linux and MacOS systems. By the end, you'll have a fully functional environment for managing your AWS resources and EKS clusters from the command line.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  1. An AWS account - You'll need an active AWS account with appropriate permissions to use AWS services.

  2. Access credentials - You should have your AWS access key ID and secret access key ready. If you don't have these yet, you can create them in the AWS Management Console under IAM → Users → Security credentials.

  3. Terminal access - You'll need access to a terminal on your Linux or MacOS system.

  4. Sudo privileges - Some installation methods require sudo access to install packages system-wide.

  5. Basic command-line knowledge - Familiarity with basic terminal commands will be helpful.

Installing AWS CLI

The AWS CLI is available in version 1 and version 2. In this tutorial, we'll focus on AWS CLI version 2, which is the latest major version with improved features and performance.

Installing AWS CLI on Linux

There are multiple ways to install AWS CLI on Linux. I'll cover the most straightforward method using the bundled installer.

  1. Download the installation package:
code
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
  1. Unzip the installer:
code
unzip awscliv2.zip
  1. Run the install program:
code
sudo ./aws/install
  1. Verify the installation:
code
aws --version

You should see output similar to:

code
aws-cli/2.19.1 Python/3.11.6 Linux/5.10.205-195.807.amzn2.x86_64 botocore/2.4.5

For ARM-based Linux systems

If you're using an ARM-based system, use the ARM package instead:

code
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-aarch64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install

Method 2: Using Snap (Ubuntu and other Snap-supported distributions)

If your Linux distribution supports Snap, you can install AWS CLI using:

code
sudo snap install aws-cli --classic

Installing AWS CLI on MacOS

For MacOS, you have two main options for installation.

Method 1: Using the GUI installer

  1. Download the macOS pkg installer from: https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg

  2. Double-click the downloaded file to launch the installer.

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

  4. Verify the installation by opening Terminal and running:

code
aws --version

Method 2: Using the command line

  1. Download the installer:
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curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg" -o "AWSCLIV2.pkg"
  1. Run the installer:
code
sudo installer -pkg AWSCLIV2.pkg -target /
  1. Verify the installation:
code
aws --version

Installing eksctl

Now that we have AWS CLI installed, let's install eksctl, which will help us create and manage EKS clusters.

Installing eksctl on Linux

  1. Download and extract the latest release:
code
# For AMD64 / x86_64
curl --silent --location "https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_$(uname -s)_amd64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /tmp

# For ARM64
# curl --silent --location "https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_$(uname -s)_arm64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /tmp
  1. Move the extracted binary to /usr/local/bin:
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sudo mv /tmp/eksctl /usr/local/bin
  1. Verify the installation:
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eksctl version

Installing eksctl on MacOS

You can install eksctl on MacOS using the same method as Linux:

code
# For Intel Macs
curl --silent --location "https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_Darwin_amd64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /tmp

# For M1/M2 Macs
# curl --silent --location "https://github.com/eksctl-io/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /tmp

sudo mv /tmp/eksctl /usr/local/bin

Alternatively, you can use Homebrew (though this is a third-party method):

code
brew tap weaveworks/tap
brew install weaveworks/tap/eksctl

Verify the installation:

code
eksctl version

Configuring AWS CLI

After installing AWS CLI, you need to configure it with your AWS credentials before you can use it.

Basic Configuration

  1. Run the configuration command:
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aws configure
  1. Enter your AWS access key ID and secret access key when prompted:
code
AWS Access Key ID [None]: YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
Default region name [None]: us-west-2
Default output format [None]: json

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID and YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY with your actual credentials. For the region, choose the AWS region you primarily work with (e.g., us-east-1, eu-west-1).

Using Named Profiles

If you work with multiple AWS accounts, you can set up named profiles:

code
aws configure --profile project1

Then, when using AWS CLI commands, specify the profile:

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aws s3 ls --profile project1

Verifying Configuration

To verify your configuration is working correctly, run a simple AWS CLI command:

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aws sts get-caller-identity

This should return your AWS account ID, user ID, and ARN, confirming that your credentials are valid.

Testing Your Setup

Let's verify that both tools are working correctly.

Testing AWS CLI

Run a simple command to list your S3 buckets:

code
aws s3 ls

If you have any S3 buckets in your account, they will be listed. If not, you'll see an empty response, but no errors.

Testing eksctl

Check if eksctl can communicate with AWS:

code
eksctl get clusters

If you don't have any EKS clusters yet, you'll see a message like "No clusters found", but the command should execute without errors.

Common Issues and Fixes

AWS CLI Issues

  1. Command not found after installation

    If you see "aws: command not found" after installation, the AWS CLI executable might not be in your PATH.

    Fix: Add the installation directory to your PATH or create a symbolic link:

    code
    sudo ln -s /usr/local/aws-cli/v2/current/bin/aws /usr/local/bin/aws

  2. Permission denied during installation

    Fix: Make sure you're using sudo for installation steps that require it:

    code
    sudo ./aws/install

  3. Configuration errors

    If you see "Unable to locate credentials", your AWS CLI isn't configured correctly.

    Fix: Run aws configure again and ensure you're entering the correct credentials.

eksctl Issues

  1. eksctl not found after installation

    Fix: Verify the binary is in a directory in your PATH:

    code
    which eksctl

    If not found, move it to a directory in your PATH:

    code
    sudo mv eksctl /usr/local/bin/

  2. Permission issues with eksctl

    Fix: Ensure the binary is executable:

    code
    sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/eksctl

  3. Authentication errors with AWS

    If eksctl can't authenticate with AWS, verify your AWS CLI configuration is correct:

    code
    aws sts get-caller-identity

Analysis Techniques

When troubleshooting issues with AWS CLI or eksctl, consider these analysis techniques:

1. Check Version Information

Always verify you're running the expected version:

code
aws --version
eksctl version

This helps identify if you need to update to a newer version.

2. Examine AWS CLI Configuration

Inspect your AWS configuration files:

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cat ~/.aws/config
cat ~/.aws/credentials

Make sure your credentials are correct and the region is properly set.

3. Enable Debug Mode

For AWS CLI, you can enable debug output:

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aws s3 ls --debug

For eksctl, use the verbose flag:

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eksctl get clusters --verbose=4

4. Check System Requirements

Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements for both tools. AWS CLI v2 requires:

  • Linux: glibc 2.17 or later
  • macOS: 10.15 or later

5. Verify Network Connectivity

Make sure you can reach AWS endpoints:

code
ping amazonaws.com

If you're behind a corporate firewall or proxy, you may need additional configuration.

Conclusion

You've successfully installed and configured AWS CLI and eksctl on your Linux or MacOS system. These powerful tools will help you manage AWS resources and EKS clusters efficiently from the command line.

With AWS CLI, you can interact with virtually any AWS service, automate routine tasks, and integrate AWS operations into your scripts and workflows. With eksctl, you can create, manage, and delete EKS clusters with simple commands, making Kubernetes on AWS more accessible.

As you become more familiar with these tools, you'll discover additional features and capabilities that can further enhance your AWS workflow.

Additional Resources

Remember that both tools are regularly updated with new features and improvements. Stay current by periodically checking for updates and reviewing the release notes for new capabilities that might benefit your workflow.

Categories: AWS
Tags: #aws-cli#eksctl#eks#devops