AWS TUI

A Rust terminal explorer backed exclusively by AWS CLI v2. Uses the default profile explicitly, including when AWS_PROFILE names a different profile. AWS CLI resolves region, credentials, SSO and role configuration. Credential values are never read or stored by this application.

Install with Homebrew

brew install kernelp4nic/tap/aws-tui
aws-tui

If you have the unrelated aws-tui cask installed, remove it first with brew uninstall --cask aws-tui to avoid a binary name conflict.

Homebrew builds the Rust binary from the versioned source release and installs AWS CLI v2 as a dependency. The first build may take a few minutes.

For embedded SSM sessions, install the optional Session Manager plugin on macOS:

brew install --cask session-manager-plugin

Use your existing AWS CLI default profile. If it is not configured yet, set it up with your organization's normal AWS CLI authentication workflow before launching the app. You can select another configured context with:

aws-tui --profile work --region us-east-1

Read-only is enabled at startup. Press Ctrl+P and choose Enable actions and SSM to connect to instances or enable EC2 actions.

To update or uninstall:

brew update
brew upgrade kernelp4nic/tap/aws-tui
# Uninstall the TUI:
brew uninstall aws-tui

Build from source

cargo run --release
cargo run --release -- --region us-east-1
cargo run --release -- --allow-actions

Read-only is the default. --read-only explicitly selects it. With --allow-actions, EC2 start, stop and reboot appear in the command palette. Each action requires typing the exact instance ID; the dialog shows the profile and region. Termination is deliberately unsupported. Use Ctrl+P and choose Enable actions and SSM or Switch to read-only mode to change mode without restarting. Mode changes last for the current session. The backend also enforces the policy before spawning AWS CLI. Read-only IAM credentials are still appropriate if you need account-enforced permissions.

Features

• EC2 instances, S3 buckets, VPCs, subnets and security groups.
• All EC2 reservation pages through AWS CLI automatic pagination.
• Local filtering across names, IDs, addresses, tags and JSON values; multiple search words must all match. EC2 state filter: all, running, stopped.
• Readable detail tables grouped into overview, network, storage and tags.
• Raw JSON remains available with Shift+J; PgUp/PgDn scrolls either view.
• Asynchronous AWS requests, loading status, actionable CLI errors.
• STS identity in the header, explicit profile option and region switching.
• Fuzzy command palette inspired by Lambda TUI's picker, with list navigation and terminal architecture following Lambda TUI and Teleport TUI.

Key	Action
Ctrl+P / Ctrl+K / :	Command palette
c	Choose columns: arrows to navigate, Space to toggle, a to show all
/	Edit filter; Enter finishes editing
Esc	Clear filters / dismiss popup
j/k, arrows	Select resource
g/G	First / last
Tab / Shift+Tab	Next / previous service
s	Cycle instance state filter
Enter	Open instance actions menu
Shift+J	Switch details table / raw JSON
PgUp / PgDn	Scroll details
r	Refresh
R	Enter a region
?	Help
q / Ctrl+C	Quit

Cmd+P is also accepted when the terminal forwards the Super modifier. Most terminals reserve it; use Ctrl+P as the portable shortcut.

Requirements and behavior

Install Rust and AWS CLI v2, then configure the default profile with the usual AWS CLI workflow. No AWS SDK or web backend is used. --profile NAME selects another existing profile. Missing credentials, expired sessions and denied permissions appear in the status area; authenticate externally and refresh. Resources are regional except S3 bucket listing. Details need at least 65 columns of content space. Refresh is manual. In-flight requests prevent service and region changes to avoid displaying results in the wrong context.

cargo test
cargo clippy -- -D warnings
cargo build --release

Column visibility applies immediately and lasts for the current session. At least one column remains visible; the remaining columns expand to fill the table.

Connect via SSM

Start with cargo run --release, enable Actions and SSM from Ctrl+P, select a running EC2 instance, and press Shift+S or choose Connect via SSM from the command palette. The session opens in an embedded terminal tab backed by a PTY, following Teleport TUI's terminal model. Input, Ctrl+C, terminal applications and resizes are forwarded to the session. Each instance can have its own tab.

• Ctrl+G h returns to instances while the session stays connected.
• Ctrl+G n switches to the next SSM tab.
• Ctrl+G x closes the tab and its local session process.
• Ctrl+G Ctrl+G sends a literal Ctrl+G to the remote terminal.
• Shift+PgUp/PgDn scrolls the terminal history.
• Resume a session from the command palette or press Shift+S on the same instance.
• exit or Ctrl+D ends the remote shell. Successful exits close the tab automatically and return to instances if it was active. Failed sessions keep their output visible.

CLI errors stay inside the tab. No remote command is sent automatically. Close SSM tabs before switching back to read-only. Quitting the TUI closes local session processes; AWS session lifecycle and idle limits still apply remotely.

Requires the local session-manager-plugin, a running SSM-managed instance with SSM Agent and appropriate instance permissions/connectivity, and caller IAM permissions for Session Manager. AWS CLI reports connection and permission errors.

Instance actions menu

Details remain visible by default while selecting resources, including in narrow terminals. Press Enter on an EC2 instance for a contextual menu with embedded SSM, SSM in an external Terminal window, EC2 console logs, details visibility, raw JSON, refresh, and EC2 start/stop/reboot actions. Navigate the menu with arrow keys and Enter. Actions remain tied to the selected instance ID if resources refresh while the menu is open.

SSM and instance mutations require actions mode. Console output is read-only and comes from ec2 get-console-output; it is a boot/serial console snapshot, not application logs or a live CloudWatch stream. Scroll with PgUp/PgDn and close with Esc. Access still depends on the caller's IAM permissions.

External SSM currently opens macOS Terminal.app and uses the active profile and region. macOS may request permission to control Terminal. That session lives outside the TUI: use exit in its window to end it; quitting the TUI or changing its mode does not close external sessions.

Text selection and scrolling

The TUI does not capture the mouse. Select text by dragging normally and use your terminal's copy shortcut (Cmd+C on macOS). There is no F2 selection mode.

Use j/k or arrows in resource lists and menus, PgUp/PgDn in details and console logs, and Shift+PgUp/PgDn for embedded SSM history. Native wheel behavior is controlled by the host terminal; it is not intercepted by the TUI. Clicks do not activate menus or change the selected instance.