Use the AWS CLI to pick the latest Amazon Linux 2023 AMI, launch an EC2 instance with a 100 GB gp3 root volume, and connect over SSH.
Amazon EC2 lets you run virtual servers in the cloud. In this guide, you will:
- Choose the latest Amazon Linux 2023 AMI
- Launch a new EC2 instance
- Set the root EBS volume size to 100 GB (gp3)
- Connect via SSH
Prerequisites:
- AWS CLI installed
- Credentials configured (
aws configure) with permissions to manage EC2
Step 1: Choose the latest Amazon Linux 2023 AMI
Amazon Linux 2 reaches end-of-life in June 2026, so AWS recommends Amazon Linux 2023, supported until March 2028.
To find the latest AL2023 AMI in your region (us-east-2):
aws ec2 describe-images \
--owners amazon \
--filters \
"Name=name,Values=al2023-ami-*-x86_64" \
"Name=state,Values=available" \
--region us-east-2 \
--query "sort_by(Images,&CreationDate)[-20:].[CreationDate,ImageId,Name]" \
--output tablePick the newest AMI (example):
AMI ID: ami-00e428798e77d38d9
Name: al2023-ami-2023.9.20251208.0-kernel-6.1-x86_64
Step 2: Create a key pair
This key pair allows SSH access.
aws ec2 create-key-pair \
--key-name MyKeyPair \
--region us-east-2 \
--query 'KeyMaterial' \
--output text > MyKeyPair.pem
chmod 400 MyKeyPair.pemScreenshot: Key pair creation (img/2025-12-17/screenshot-keypair.png)
Step 3: Create a security group
Allow SSH (port 22). For best security, prefer your own IP (for example 1.2.3.4/32) instead of 0.0.0.0/0.
Check if the security group already exists
aws ec2 describe-security-groups \
--filters "Name=group-name,Values=MySecurityGroup" \
--query "SecurityGroups[*].GroupId" \
--output textSG_ID=$(aws ec2 create-security-group \
--group-name MySecurityGroup \
--description "Allow SSH" \
--region us-east-2 \
--query 'GroupId' \
--output text)
echo "Created security group: $SG_ID"
aws ec2 authorize-security-group-ingress \
--group-id "$SG_ID" \
--protocol tcp \
--port 22 \
--cidr 0.0.0.0/0 \
--region us-east-2Screenshot: Security group setup (img/2025-12-17/screenshot-security-group.png)
Step 4: Launch the instance with 100 GB of storage
By default, Amazon Linux often uses an ~8 GB root volume. This example sets the root volume to 100 GB using gp3.
INSTANCE_ID=$(aws ec2 run-instances \
--image-id ami-00e428798e77d38d9 \
--count 1 \
--instance-type t3.large \
--key-name MyKeyPair \
--security-group-ids "$SG_ID" \
--block-device-mappings '[{"DeviceName":"/dev/xvda","Ebs":{"VolumeSize":100,"VolumeType":"gp3","DeleteOnTermination":true}}]' \
--tag-specifications 'ResourceType=instance,Tags=[{Key=Name,Value=al2023-100gb}]' \
--region us-east-2 \
--query 'Instances[0].InstanceId' \
--output text)
echo "Created instance: $INSTANCE_ID"
aws ec2 wait instance-running \
--instance-ids "$INSTANCE_ID" \
--region us-east-2Explanation:
--block-device-mappingsoverrides the default root volume size to 100 GB.gp3is cost-effective and high-performance.
Step 5: Get the public IP and connect via SSH
PUBLIC_IP=$(aws ec2 describe-instances \
--region us-east-2 \
--instance-ids "$INSTANCE_ID" \
--query "Reservations[0].Instances[0].PublicIpAddress" \
--output text)
echo "Public IP: $PUBLIC_IP"
ssh -i MyKeyPair.pem ec2-user@"$PUBLIC_IP"Optional: Create a permanent public IP (Elastic IP)
Allocate an Elastic IP:
ALLOCATION_ID=$(aws ec2 allocate-address \
--region us-east-2 \
--query 'AllocationId' \
--output text)
echo "Elastic IP allocation id: $ALLOCATION_ID"Associate the Elastic IP to your instance:
aws ec2 associate-address \
--instance-id "$INSTANCE_ID" \
--allocation-id "$ALLOCATION_ID" \
--region us-east-2Verify Elastic IPs in the region:
aws ec2 describe-addresses \
--region us-east-2
aws ec2 describe-addresses \
--allocation-ids "$ALLOCATION_ID" \
--region us-east-2Step 6: Verify storage
Once inside the instance:
lsblk
df -hIf you do not see the expected size yet, reboot once and check again. If it is still not expanded, you may need to grow the partition/filesystem (the exact steps depend on the filesystem).
Step 7: Install and configure Nginx
After launching your instance, you can install Nginx to serve web content.
For Amazon Linux 2023:
sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install -y nginxFor Amazon Linux 2:
sudo yum update -y
sudo amazon-linux-extras enable nginx1
sudo yum install -y nginxStart and enable Nginx:
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginxVerify Nginx status:
sudo systemctl status nginxWhy choose Amazon Linux 2023?
- Long-term support until 2028
- Kernel 6.x for better performance and security
- Uses the
dnfpackage manager (modern replacement foryum)
Optional enhancements
- Attach an Elastic IP so your server keeps the same public IP address.
- Use AWS Systems Manager Session Manager to access the instance without opening inbound SSH.
- Install your stack (Python, Docker, Nginx) using
dnf. - If you’re planning to run Kubernetes, see Kubernetes Cluster Setup on AWS EKS.
Happy cloud building!
FAQ
- Does this create an extra EBS volume or just resize the root volume?
- The block device mapping shown resizes the root EBS volume (from the default ~8 GB to 100 GB). If you want a second data volume, attach another mapping (for example /dev/sdf) or use the console to attach an additional EBS volume.
- What username should I use to SSH into Amazon Linux 2023?
- Use the ec2-user account: ssh -i <key>.pem ec2-user@<public-ip>.
- Why does df -h sometimes still show ~8 GB after using a bigger volume?
- The EBS volume size and the filesystem size are related but not always identical. Cloud-init usually grows the partition and filesystem on first boot, but if it does not, you may need to grow the partition and filesystem manually.
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