Install Alibaba Cloud CLI (aliyun) and deploy projects to Alibaba Cloud ECS using aliyun appmanager commands. Use when the user wants to deploy applications or AI agents to ECS, set up aliyun CLI, or use appmanager init/deploy/status/delete commands.
aliyun appmanager is an Agent-friendly CLI tool for one-click deployment of applications (App) and AI Agents to Alibaba Cloud ECS. It supports non-interactive mode (--non-interactive), structured JSON output (--output json), and streaming NDJSON responses.
Default behavior: When user invokes /alibabacloud-ecs-code-deploy without specifying a project path or URL, deploy the current working directory project to Alibaba Cloud ECS. If user provides a git URL, clone it to the current directory first, then cd into the cloned directory and proceed with deployment.
EXECUTION ORDER: The Agent MUST follow the "Complete Deployment Workflow" section at the bottom of this document for the correct execution sequence. The Task sections below are organized by topic for reference — their numbering does NOT imply execution order.
MANDATORY: Create Todo List Before Starting
Before executing any step, the Agent MUST create a todo list with ALL of the following items. Do NOT omit any item. Do NOT start deployment until the todo list is created.
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Todo list (Deploy to Alibaba Cloud ECS):
[ ] 0. Resolve $SKILL_DIR (cross-platform path — MUST run first; see "Step 0" below)
[ ] 1. Environment pre-check (MUST run deploy_toolkit.py check; manual commands FORBIDDEN as replacement)
[ ] 2. Obtain project (clone git URL here if needed; skip for local projects)
── Check whether .appmanager/config.yaml already exists (repeat-deploy shortcut) ──
│ Exists + new ECS (no instanceId) → skip 3-5, start from 5.5 (price check)
│ Exists + existing ECS (has instanceId) → skip 3-5.5, jump to 6 (deploy)
│ Does not exist → proceed normally from 3
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[ ] 3. Read project (README.md -> quick-deploy method) + identify type (agent / app)
[ ] 4. Ask user for deployment config (region + new ECS / existing ECS)
[ ] 5. Init + generate scripts (appmanager init -> write start/stop scripts to config.yaml)
[ ] 5.5. Pre-deploy price check + risk warning (MUST run deploy_toolkit.py price; confirm price / OSS billing / existing-ECS impact / group overwrite item by item)
[ ] 6. Deploy (MUST run deploy_toolkit.py deploy; manual deploy command FORBIDDEN as replacement)
[ ] 7. Verify (MUST run deploy_toolkit.py verify; manual status command FORBIDDEN as replacement)
[ ] 8. Output final result (console link + cost reminder + management commands)
⛔ SCRIPT-FIRST RULE: Steps 1, 5, 6, 7 have a dedicated toolkit script at $SKILL_DIR/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py (where $SKILL_DIR is resolved in Step 0 below — works on Qoder, Claude Code, and any other platform). The Agent MUST run the corresponding subcommand DIRECTLY as the FIRST and ONLY action for that step — NEVER run manual CLI commands (like aliyun version, version checks, credential checks) BEFORE or INSTEAD of the script. The script already handles ALL checks internally. Manual commands are ONLY allowed as fallback if the script file itself does not exist.
❌ WRONG (Step 1): Run aliyun version → check version → run ~/.aliyun/appmanager-venv/bin/python ... → check version → THEN run deploy_toolkit.py check✅ CORRECT (Step 1): Run python3 "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py" check → if exit 1, fix the issue it reports → if script file missing, THEN fall back to manual checks
Item 6 is NON-NEGOTIABLE. An Agent that skips log verification and directly outputs "deployment succeeded" has NOT completed this skill correctly. If deploy_toolkit.py verify exits 1 (failed), the Agent MUST fix the issue and re-deploy before proceeding to item 7.
The toolkit script lives at <skill-root>/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py. Different platforms install skills to different locations (Qoder/Claude Code/Qwen/...). The Agent MUST resolve the absolute skill root once at session start and reuse it everywhere $SKILL_DIR appears below. Hardcoding any platform-specific path is FORBIDDEN.
See references/skill-dir-resolution.md for the full 10-candidate detection algorithm, the export + test -f verify snippet, and Pattern A / Pattern B / ⛔ Anti-pattern usage rules.
Quick recap (read the reference for details):
✅ Pattern A (persistent shell): export SKILL_DIR="/abs/path" then later python3 "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py" <sub>
✅ Pattern B (fresh shell per call): inline the absolute path — python3 "/abs/path/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py" <sub>
⛔ Anti-pattern: SKILL_DIR=/path python3 "$SKILL_DIR/..." — outer shell expands $SKILL_DIR BEFORE the prefix assignment, producing /scripts/deploy_toolkit.py and ENOENT. If you see python3: can't open file '/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py', switch to Pattern A or B.
Task 1: Install Alibaba Cloud CLI
Primary action: Run python3 "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/deploy_toolkit.py" check — it checks CLI version + appmanager-cli version + credentials in one run. Only if the script file is missing, use the fallback in references/init-and-credentials.md.
MUST — Handling unmet environment prerequisites: When check exits 1 because the aliyun CLI is missing or older than 3.3.19 (or appmanager-cli is missing/outdated), the Agent MUST NOT stop the workflow silently. The required flow is:
CLI NOT installed → Auto-install directly without asking user — execute the install command (see snippet below or references/init-and-credentials.md for the right arch), then re-run deploy_toolkit.py check to confirm.
CLI already installed → ASK the user first — show the detected version + the required version + the upgrade command, and ask for explicit consent (e.g. "aliyun CLI 3.3.4 is already installed but below the required >= 3.3.19 for appmanager; approve upgrade (overwrite-install into /usr/local/bin, requires sudo)?"). Never assume yes; never paste credentials.
On approval — execute the install/upgrade command, then re-run deploy_toolkit.py check to confirm.
On refusal — stop with the refusal as the reason. Do NOT continue with the older version (deployment will fail anyway).
The toolkit's check output already includes an → AGENT: DO NOT stop. ASK user ... line for each fixable issue — follow it verbatim (except for the "not installed" case, which is auto-handled).
MUST — Upgrade method priority (avoid the "repeated upgrade" pitfall: /usr/local/bin/ is often shadowed by earlier PATH entries like /opt/homebrew/bin):
brew-managed (check prints "managed by Homebrew") -> brew upgrade aliyun-cli; do NOT overwrite /usr/local/bin/ again.
sudo available -> overwrite into /usr/local/bin/, then verify: hash -r && which -a aliyun && aliyun version.
No sudo -> install to ~/bin/, ask user to approve appending export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH" to ~/.zshrc / ~/.bashrc.
After install/upgrade, ALWAYS rerun deploy_toolkit.py check to confirm. If which -a aliyun still shows the old binary first, fix PATH order — DO NOT repeat the same overwrite.
AI-Mode Configuration (MANDATORY after CLI install)
⛔ MUST configure AI-Mode: Agent MUST ensure AI-Mode is properly configured before running any aliyun appmanager commands. deploy_toolkit.py check handles this internally; the commands below are for manual fallback only.
bash
aliyun configure ai-mode enable
aliyun configure ai-mode set-user-agent --user-agent "AlibabaCloud-Agent-Skills/alibabacloud-ecs-code-deploy"
aliyun plugin update
aliyun configure ai-mode show # verify: enabled=true, user-agent set
aliyun configure ai-mode disable # only when troubleshooting
Task 2: Configure Credentials
deploy_toolkit.py check already validates credentials. Only if credentials are missing/invalid, see references/init-and-credentials.md for the default-credential-chain remediation flow.
⛔ PREFER OAuth OVER AK: This skill SHOULD guide users to use OAuth authentication as the PRIMARY method for providing Alibaba Cloud permissions. OAuth is more secure and convenient than AccessKey (no long-term secret storage needed). The Agent MUST present OAuth as the first option before mentioning AK-based methods.
OAuth Login Guide: Instruct the user to run the following command in their terminal:
bash
aliyun configure --mode OAuth --profile oauth
This is an interactive command that will:
Open a browser with an authorization link — user clicks to authorize
Prompt for region (e.g. cn-hangzhou, cn-beijing) — user enters their preferred region
Prompt for language (e.g. zh) — user enters their preferred language
⛔ SA-2.12 — DO NOT explicitly handle AK/SK: This skill MUST rely on the aliyun CLI/SDK default credential chain (OAuth / ECS RAM Role / env vars / pre-existing ~/.aliyun/config.json). The Agent NEVER asks the user to paste AccessKey/Secret/STS-Token values into the chat, NEVER puts raw AK/SK in tool-call arguments or scripts, and NEVER echoes credential values. When credentials are missing, instruct the user to configure them out-of-band (their own terminal/shell profile/RAM role) and only re-verify via aliyun sts get-caller-identity. Full remediation flow → references/init-and-credentials.md.
CRITICAL PROHIBITION: NEVER run standalone appmanager or aliyun appmanager login.
Task 3: Initialize Project
Step 1 (MANDATORY): Read README.md FIRST
CRITICAL ORDERING RULE: Before scanning any project files, the Agent MUST read README.md (or README) in the project root. This is ALWAYS the first action in Task 3.
Only when no higher priority exists; check China accessibility
Step C: Execute based on scenario:
README has native method (priority 1/2) → Use it directly as start script core. NEVER ignore README and build from scratch.
README only has Docker → Check image accessibility (see references/script-templates.md "Docker Image Accessibility Check"). Warn user about China mirror risks.
README has no deploy info / absent → Agent scans project files independently (only allowed case).
Why README first? Most projects document the exact build/run commands. Auto-detecting from files alone is error-prone.
Step 2: Determine project type
Condition
Type
Project depends on agentscope
agent
Everything else (langchain, mcp, autogen, web services, tools, etc.)
app
Determine --name
Use the project directory name (lowercased, hyphens). Inform user: Default app name uses the directory name <name>.
Determine --region and ECS target (MUST ask user)
Agent MUST ask both questions together in ONE message:
Existing ECS (please provide the instance ID, e.g. i-bp1xxxxxxxx)
NEVER use zone-based labels like "East China 1" / "North China 2". NEVER add descriptions. City names only.
⚠️ REGION PROPAGATION CHECK (MANDATORY): The chosen region MUST be passed verbatim to appmanager init --region, written into config.yamlcommon.deployment.regionId, AND attached as --region <REGION_ID> to every subsequent deploy_toolkit.py {price,deploy,verify} invocation. Mismatch / omission triggers InvalidParameter: DeployRegionId is invalid from the OOS API.
Determine --port (App type only, OPTIONAL)
Only specify when the project actually listens on HTTP. Skip for background services (bots, workers, CLI tools). If needed but unknown, default to 8080. Agent type does NOT use --port.
MANDATORY: Before deploying, run deploy_toolkit.py price. The script outputs the price estimate (with OSS extra-billing reminder) and, when applicable, a risk warning block. The Agent MUST present every flagged item to the user and obtain explicit confirmation BEFORE running deploy.
Exit 0 + === AGENT_CONFIRM_REQUIRED ===: present the complete price + risk warning to the user, confirm item by item.
Exit 1: price query failed; do NOT proceed to deploy.
The Agent MUST confirm up to 3 items (price + OSS fees / existing-ECS risk / group overwrite choice) — see references/deploy-output-and-management.md § "Pre-deploy Price Check: Confirmation Items" for detailed descriptions and example phrasing.
Until ALL applicable confirmations are complete, the Agent MUST NOT invoke deploy_toolkit.py deploy.
STOP after deploy success — status: success only means orchestration completed. Agent MUST run Task 6 verification before outputting results.
Handling deployment failure
⛔ MANDATORY FAILURE GATE: After ANY deploy failure (exit 1, timeout, or ReleaseCancelled), the Agent MUST run deploy_toolkit.py verify IMMEDIATELY — BEFORE any fix attempt, fallback to manual commands, or partial output. Skipping verify after a failure is FORBIDDEN and counts as skill failure.
Semantics of ReleaseCancelled: it means the start script on ECS failed or timed out. It does NOT mean "someone cancelled the deploy". The only correct next action: run deploy_toolkit.py verify -> read the log -> fix the script -> redeploy.
Known failure patterns: Before ad-hoc troubleshooting, check references/lessons-learned.md for previously identified deployment failure patterns and proven fixes.
Failure-handling flow:
Run deploy_toolkit.py verify to fetch /root/app.log (DO NOT skip).
Analyze the log to locate root cause.
Fix scripts and redeploy (max 3 attempts).
After 3 failures, stop — report the error, but still output console link + cost reminder + delete command.
Task 6: Post-deploy Verification (BLOCKING)
status: Deployed does NOT mean the application is running. The Agent MUST run verify and semantically analyze the log.
Run deploy_toolkit.py verify (auto-reads parameters from config.yaml).
Agent semantically analyzes the log to decide whether the application actually started successfully.
MANDATORY post-deploy output format (console link, cost reminder, usage guide)
Pre-output Gate — Self-check (⛔ BLOCKING)
Before outputting results, Agent MUST print the exact Deployment self-check report template (see Workflow Step 7.5). Skipping the report = skill failure (not an optional summary). If any item is ❌, fix it BEFORE outputting Step 8.
📘 Hands-on walk-through with concrete inputs/outputs and edge cases (Python Flask example): see references/tutorial-flask-app.md.
Complete Deployment Workflow
⛔ MANDATORY EXECUTION RULE: The Agent MUST follow this sequence exactly. For steps that specify a script (steps 1, 5, 6), the Agent MUST run the script — NEVER manually replicate the script's logic with individual commands. The Task sections above are REFERENCE ONLY (for understanding what the scripts do internally or as fallback if scripts are missing).
0. Resolve $SKILL_DIR (MANDATORY — see "Step 0" section above for full algorithm)
→ Detect the absolute directory containing THIS SKILL.md (most accurate)
→ Or fall back to platform-specific candidates: ~/.qoder/skills/..., ~/.claude/skills/..., ~/.qwen/skills/..., $SKILLS_HOME/..., etc.
- ❌ NEVER ignore README methods and scan project files instead
- ❌ NEVER prefer Docker when native methods are available
- Docker: ONLY when no native method exists, MUST warn user about China mirror risks
- Only if README absent/empty/no deploy info → Agent scans project files independently
→ Only classify as "agent" if project depends on agentscope; everything else is "app"
→ Determine --name from directory name, --port from project config/README
→ For Docker: check image accessibility from China (see references/script-templates.md)
4. Ask user for deployment region + ECS target (MANDATORY — ask together in one question)
→ Question 1: "Which region do you want to deploy to? Shanghai(cn-shanghai)/Hangzhou(cn-hangzhou)/Beijing(cn-beijing)/Shenzhen(cn-shenzhen)/Guangzhou(cn-guangzhou)..."
→ Question 2: "New ECS or existing ECS?" — for existing, the user must provide the instance ID, e.g. i-bp1xxxxxxxx
→ NEVER use zone-based labels like "East China 1" / "North China 2" — always use city names
→ NEVER skip the ECS choice and default to creating new
→ ⚠️ Region MUST be propagated verbatim to: appmanager init --region, config.yaml common.deployment.regionId, AND every deploy_toolkit.py --region. Mismatch → InvalidParameter: DeployRegionId from OOS API.
