install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install aws-shell

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Integrated shell for working with the AWS CLI

Project links

Commands and aliases

aws-shell
aws-shell-mkindex

history

Project history and usage

aws-shell is an interactive shell for the AWS CLI, adding completions, fuzzy searching, inline documentation, profiles, command history, and persistent shell preferences around normal AWS CLI commands.

Project history

The awslabs repository begins in September 2015 with commits that turn the idea into an installable Python package. The README brands it as an interactive productivity booster for the AWS CLI.

The project depends on the AWS CLI model and boto3-style service data to provide command, option, and server-side resource completion. Its public release history is modest; tags reached the 0.2.x line and later commits mainly keep compatibility and dependencies moving.

Adoption history

aws-shell served users who wanted a richer REPL-like AWS CLI experience before modern shell completion and IDE integrations were as common. Its Homebrew formula reflects a developer-workstation tool: install it, run aws-shell, and type AWS CLI commands without the aws prefix.

Because it shares AWS CLI configuration and profiles, adoption did not require a new credentials model. That made it easy to try, but also tied the tool's usefulness to the AWS CLI command model and Python support matrix.

How it is used

The README says aws-shell accepts the same commands as the AWS CLI except without the aws prefix, supports AWS CLI profiles, records command history in ~/.aws/shell/history, and persists toolbar/keybinding preferences to ~/.aws/shell/awsshellrc.

Configuration and credentials come from the standard AWS CLI files and profile behavior. Users can run configure inside the shell to populate access key, secret key, region, and output format settings.

Why package nerds care

For package maintainers, aws-shell is a snapshot of the Python AWS tooling era: prompt-tooling convenience wrapped around AWS CLI models, packaged as a standalone executable even though most of its value comes from AWS CLI/boto data underneath.

Timeline

2015: Initial public aws-shell commits create an installable Python package.
2015: Early 0.x tags appear.
2020: Compatibility work lands for newer AWS CLI support.
2024: Dependency maintenance continues in the repository.

Related projects

AWS CLI provides the underlying command model and shared configuration behavior.
boto3 is used for server-side completion according to the README.

Sources

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-configure-files.html
https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell#readme
official git history and tags from https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

text:shell

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.aws/config~/.aws/shell/awsshellrc

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.aws/credentials

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`aws-shell`	cli	global executable
`aws-shell-mkindex`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version0.2.2

manager updated2026-05-12

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shellnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:aws-shell
Version	0.2.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/aws-shell
Homepage	https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell
Repository	https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell
Upstream docs	https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-configure-files.html
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/01/31/ee166a91c865a855af4f15e393974eadf57762629fc2a163a3eb3f470ac5/aws-shell-0.2.2.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-05-12T10:33:03Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	libyaml, python@3.14
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	aws-shell
Version Scheme	0
Revision	14
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/aws-shell.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install aws-shell with Homebrew