---
title: EC2 API tools
category: Devops
---

### Install

    $ sudo apt-get install ec2-api-tools ec2-ami-tools
    $ brew install ec2-api-tools ec2-ami-tools

### Pem files

    $ brew info ec2-api-tools

 * Before you can use these tools you must export some variables to your $SHELL
   and download your X.509 certificate and private key from Amazon Web Services.

 * Your certificate and private key are available at
   [aws-portal.amazon.com](http://aws-portal.amazon.com/gp/aws/developer/account/index.html?action=access-key).

 * Download two `.pem` files, one starting with `pk-`, and one starting with `cert-`.
   You need to put both into a folder in your home directory, `~/.ec2`.

### Key pair

    # To use public images (AMI's), you need an SSH keypair from EC2.
      ec2-add-keypair my-keypair > ~/.ec2/my-keypair.pem
      chmod 600 ec2-keypair.pem

### Start an instance

    # Start an instance using a given AMI image:
    # (Use the Ubuntu locator, or ec2-describe-images)
      ec2-run-instances ami-xxxxxx -k ec2-keypair

    # Open up ports (in the 'default' security group):
      ec2-authorize default -p 22
      ec2-authorize default -p 80

    # Connect
      ssh -i ~/.ec2/my-keypair.pem root@ec2-xxx.amazonaws.com

### Management

    # Show running instances
      ec2-describe-instances

    # Kill an instance
      ec2-terminate-instances i-yourinstance

### Misc

    # Create a security group
      ec2-add-group group_name -d "Description"

    # Show images (AMI's) owned by amazon, or me
      ec2-describe-images -o self -o amazon

### Ubuntu images

 * [Ubuntu EC2 AMI locator](http://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/locator/ec2/)

### Change certificates

    EC2_CERT_PATH="$HOME/.ec2"
    export EC2_PRIVATE_KEY="$(/bin/ls $EC2_CERT_PATH/pk-*.pem | /usr/bin/head -1)"
    export EC2_CERT="$(/bin/ls $EC2_CERT_PATH/cert-*.pem | /usr/bin/head -1)"