Launch a Linux Virtual Machine with Amazon Lightsail
Overview
Lightsail is one of the easiest ways to get started on AWS. It offers virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking, plus a cost-effective, monthly plan. It’s designed to help you start small, and then scale as you grow.
In this tutorial, you create an Amazon Linux instance in Amazon Lightsail in seconds. After the instance is up and running, you connect to it via SSH within the Lightsail console using the browser-based SSH terminal.
Implementation
Create an Amazon Lightsail account
There are no charges for using Amazon Lightsail for this tutorial.
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Create an Amazon Linux instance in Lightsail
Choose Create instance in the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page.
Configure your Amazon Lightsail instance
1. Choose a Region
An AWS Region and Availability Zone is selected for you. Choose Change AWS Region and Availability Zone to create your instance in another location.
Note: Static IP addresses can only be attached to instances in the same region.
2. Choose an instance image
Choose the Linux/Unix platform option, and choose OS Only to view the operating system-only instance images available in Lightsail.
To learn more about Lightsail instance images, see Choose an Amazon Lightsail instance image.
3. Choose the blueprint
Choose the Amazon Linux 2 blueprint option.
4. (Optional) Configure launch script
Choose Add launch script to add a shell script that will run on your instance when it launches.
5. (Optional) Choose an SSH key pair
Choose Change SSH key pair to select, create, or upload the key pair you would like to use to SSH into your instance.
6. (Optional) Configure automatic snapshots
Choose Enable Automatic Snapshots to automatically create a backup image of your instance and attached disks on a daily schedule.
7. Select a pricing plan
Choose your instance plan. You can try the $3.50 USD Lightsail plan free for the first three months (up to 750 hours). We'll credit the first three months to your account.
Learn more on our Lightsail pricing page.
8. Specify the instance name
Enter a name for your instance.
9. (Optional) Add instance tags
Choose one of the following options to add tags to your instance:
(Optional) Add key-only tags — Enter your new tag into the tag key text box, and press Enter. Choose Save when you’re done entering your tags to add them, or choose Cancel to not add them.
(Optional) Create a key-value tag — Enter a key into the Key text box, and a value into the Value text box. Choose Save when you’re done entering your tags, or choose Cancel to not add them.
Key-value tags can only be added one at a time before saving. To add more than one key-value tag, repeat the previous steps.
For more information about key-only and key-value tags, see Tags in Amazon Lightsail.
10. Launch the instance
Choose Create instance.
Connect your instance
Connect to your instance using the browser-based SSH terminal in Lightsail.
1. Connect to the instance terminal
In the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose the terminal icon, or the ellipsis (â‹®) icon next to the Amazon Linux instance you just created.
The browser-based SSH terminal window appears. You can type Linux commands into the browser terminal, and manage your instance without configuring an SSH client.
