# Aliyun CLI Installation & Configuration Guide

Complete guide for installing and configuring Aliyun CLI.

> **Aliyun CLI 3.3.1+**: Supports installing and using all published Alibaba Cloud product plugins. Make sure to upgrade to 3.3.1 or later for full plugin ecosystem coverage.

## Installation

### macOS

**Using Homebrew (Recommended)**
```bash
brew install aliyun-cli
# Upgrade to latest
brew upgrade aliyun-cli

# Verify version (>= 3.3.1)
aliyun version
```

**Using Binary**
```bash
# Download
wget https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Extract
tar -xzf aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Move to PATH
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version
```

### Linux

**Debian/Ubuntu**
```bash
# Download
wget https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-linux-latest-amd64.tgz

# Extract and install
tar -xzf aliyun-cli-linux-latest-amd64.tgz
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version
```

**CentOS/RHEL**
```bash
# Download
wget https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-linux-latest-amd64.tgz

# Extract and install
tar -xzf aliyun-cli-linux-latest-amd64.tgz
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version
```

**ARM64 Architecture**
```bash
# Download ARM64 version
wget https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-linux-latest-arm64.tgz

# Extract and install
tar -xzf aliyun-cli-linux-latest-arm64.tgz
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/
```

### Windows

**Using Binary**
1. Download from: https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-windows-latest-amd64.zip
2. Extract the ZIP file
3. Add the directory to your PATH environment variable
4. Open new Command Prompt or PowerShell
5. Verify: `aliyun version`

**Using PowerShell**
```powershell
# Download
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/aliyun-cli-windows-latest-amd64.zip" -OutFile "aliyun-cli.zip"

# Extract
Expand-Archive -Path aliyun-cli.zip -DestinationPath C:\aliyun-cli

# Add to PATH (requires admin privileges)
$env:Path += ";C:\aliyun-cli"
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

# Verify
aliyun version
```

## Configuration

### Default Credential Chain

The Aliyun CLI uses a default credential chain to resolve authentication automatically.
This skill relies on the default credential chain — do not configure credentials explicitly.

Verify your CLI is authenticated:

```bash
aliyun configure get
```

All `aliyun configure` commands support non-interactive flags, which is the recommended approach —
it works in scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and agent-driven automation without hanging on stdin prompts.

### Supported Authentication Modes

Aliyun CLI supports 6 authentication modes. Use `aliyun configure --mode <MODE>` to set up:

| Mode | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| AK | Access Key authentication | Personal accounts, scripts |
| StsToken | Temporary security credentials | CI/CD, temporary access |
| RamRoleArn | Assume a RAM role | Cross-account access |
| EcsRamRole | ECS instance RAM role (no credentials needed) | Automation on ECS instances |
| RsaKeyPair | RSA key pair authentication | Advanced authentication |
| RamRoleArnWithEcs | ECS role + RAM role assumption | Cross-account from ECS |

Refer to the [official Aliyun CLI documentation](https://help.aliyun.com/zh/cli/) for mode-specific setup instructions.

#### Recommended: EcsRamRole Mode

When running on ECS instances, use EcsRamRole mode for credential-free authentication:

```bash
aliyun configure set \
  --mode EcsRamRole \
  --ram-role-name <ROLE_NAME> \
  --region cn-hangzhou
```

Requirements: must be running on an ECS instance with a RAM role attached.

### Managing Multiple Profiles

```bash
# List all profiles
aliyun configure list

# Switch default profile
aliyun configure set --current <PROFILE_NAME>

# Use specific profile for a command
aliyun ecs describe-instances --profile <PROFILE_NAME>
```

### Credential Priority

Credentials are loaded in this order (first found wins):

1. **Command-line flag**: `--profile <name>`
2. **Environment variable**: `ALIBABA_CLOUD_PROFILE`
3. **Credentials file**: `~/.aliyun/config.json` (current profile)
4. **ECS Instance RAM Role**: If running on ECS with attached role

## Verification

### Test Authentication

```bash
# Basic test - list regions
aliyun ecs describe-regions

# Expected output: JSON array of regions
```

**If successful**, you'll see:
```json
{
  "Regions": {
    "Region": [
      {
        "RegionId": "cn-hangzhou",
        "RegionEndpoint": "ecs.cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com",
        "LocalName": "华东 1（杭州）"
      },
      ...
    ]
  },
  "RequestId": "..."
}
```

**If failed**, you'll see error messages:
- `InvalidAccessKeyId.NotFound` - Wrong Access Key ID
- `SignatureDoesNotMatch` - Wrong Access Key Secret
- `InvalidSecurityToken.Expired` - STS token expired (for StsToken mode)
- `Forbidden.RAM` - Insufficient permissions

### Debug Configuration

```bash
# Show current configuration
aliyun configure get

# Test with debug logging
aliyun ecs describe-regions --log-level=debug

# Check credential provider
aliyun configure get mode
```

## Security Best Practices

### 1. Use RAM Users (Not Root Account)

❌ **Don't**: Use Aliyun root account credentials
✅ **Do**: Create RAM users with specific permissions in the RAM console

### 2. Principle of Least Privilege

Grant only the minimum permissions needed. Attach managed policies when possible (e.g., `AliyunECSReadOnlyAccess`).

### 3. Use ECS RAM Roles When Possible

Prefer credential-free authentication via ECS instance RAM roles:

```bash
aliyun configure set --mode EcsRamRole --ram-role-name <ROLE_NAME> --region cn-hangzhou
```

### 4. Use Temporary Credentials for Short-Lived Access

For CI/CD and automation, prefer STS temporary credentials or RAM role assumption over long-lived keys.

### 5. Never Commit Credentials

```bash
# Add to .gitignore
echo "~/.aliyun/config.json" >> .gitignore

# Use environment variables in CI/CD instead
```

### 6. Secure Config File

```bash
# Restrict permissions
chmod 600 ~/.aliyun/config.json
```

## Troubleshooting

### Issue: Command Not Found

```bash
# Check installation
which aliyun

# Check PATH
echo $PATH

# Reinstall or add to PATH
```

### Issue: Authentication Failed

```bash
# Verify configuration
aliyun configure get

# Test with debug
aliyun ecs describe-regions --log-level=debug
```

### Issue: Permission Denied

```bash
# Error: Forbidden.RAM

# Check RAM user permissions
# Attach necessary policies in RAM console
# Example: AliyunECSFullAccess for ECS operations
```

### Issue: STS Token Expired

```bash
# Error: InvalidSecurityToken.Expired
# Reconfigure with a new STS token using: aliyun configure --mode StsToken
```

### Issue: Wrong Region

```bash
# Some resources may not exist in the specified region

# Check available regions
aliyun ecs describe-regions

# Update default region
aliyun configure set region cn-shanghai
```

## Advanced Configuration

### Custom Endpoint

```bash
# Use custom or private endpoint
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ECS_ENDPOINT=ecs-vpc.cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com
```

### Proxy Settings

```bash
# HTTP proxy
export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080

# No proxy for specific domains
export NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1,.aliyuncs.com
```

### Timeout Settings

```bash
# Connection timeout (default: 10s)
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=30

# Read timeout (default: 10s)
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_READ_TIMEOUT=30
```

## Next Steps

After installation and configuration:

1. **Install plugins** for services you need (v3.3.1+ supports all published product plugins):
   ```bash
   aliyun plugin install --names ecs vpc rds

   # List all available plugins
   aliyun plugin list-remote
   ```

2. **Explore commands**:
   ```bash
   aliyun ecs --help
   aliyun fc --help
   ```

3. **Read documentation**:
   - [Command Syntax Guide](./command-syntax.md)
   - [Global Flags Reference](./global-flags.md)
   - [Common Scenarios](./common-scenarios.md)

## References

- Official Documentation: https://help.aliyun.com/zh/cli/
- RAM Console: https://ram.console.aliyun.com/
- Access Key Management: https://ram.console.aliyun.com/manage/ak
- Plugin Repository: https://github.com/aliyun/aliyun-cli