AWS Session Manager Setup & Requirements¶

What You Need¶

To use AWS Session Manager with StormTunnel, you need:

1. AWS CLI - Command-line tool for AWS
2. Session Manager Plugin - Plugin for secure connections
3. AWS credentials - Set up on your Mac

These are usually installed and configured by your IT/DevOps team. Ask them if you don't have them set up.

Installation (For Admins)¶

If you're setting this up yourself:

AWS CLI: Install via Homebrew

• Open Terminal
• Run: brew install awscli

Session Manager Plugin: Install via Homebrew

• Open Terminal
• Run: brew install --cask session-manager-plugin

AWS Credentials: Configure using AWS CLI

• Open Terminal
• Run: aws configure
• Follow the prompts to enter your access key and secret

Verifying Setup¶

Open StormTunnel and go to Settings → AWS to see if everything is installed:

• ✅ AWS CLI: Should show "Installed"
• ✅ Session Manager Plugin: Should show "Installed"
• ✅ Credentials: Should show "Valid"

If anything is missing:

• Missing AWS CLI? Install it via Homebrew (see Installation section)
• Missing Plugin? Install it via Homebrew (see Installation section)
• Invalid Credentials? Run aws configure in Terminal to set up credentials

Permission Issues¶

If you can't access certain instances, your AWS permissions might be restricted. Contact your AWS administrator to:

1. Check that you have ssm:StartSession permission
2. Verify you can see the EC2 instances you're trying to access
3. Check if you need additional AWS permissions

Troubleshooting¶

"AWS CLI not found"

• Install via Homebrew: brew install awscli
• Restart StormTunnel

"Session Manager Plugin not found"

• Install via Homebrew: brew install --cask session-manager-plugin
• Restart StormTunnel

"Credentials invalid"

• Run aws configure in Terminal
• Re-enter your AWS access key and secret
• Restart StormTunnel

"Can't access an instance"

• Contact your AWS administrator
• Ask them to verify your AWS permissions

Last Updated: December 20, 2025