Create a Public S3 Bucket and Upload Files

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is a scalable object storage service widely used for backup, data archiving, and hosting static websites. Creating a public S3 bucket and uploading files is a common task for those looking to make files accessible over the internet. This guide will walk you through the steps to create a public S3 bucket and upload files to it.

Prerequisites:

Before you can SSH into your EC2 instance, you need to have the following:

1. AWS Account: You need an AWS account. If you don’t have create one.

A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating an AWS Account. Click here

2. AWS CLI (optional) For those comfortable with command line interfaces, the AWS CLI can be used to manage S3 buckets. You can download and install it from the AWS CLI page.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Log in to the AWS Management Console

1. Go to the AWS Management Console.

2. Enter your login credentials to access your AWS account.

Step 2: Navigate to S3

1. In the AWS Management Console, type "S3" in the search bar and select S3 from the drop-down results.

2. This will take you to the Amazon S3 console.

Step 3: Create a New Bucket

1. Click on the Create bucket button.

2. Enter a unique bucket name. The name must be globally unique across all AWS accounts.

3. Choose the AWS region where you want your bucket to be created.

4. Leave the default settings for the rest of the options and click Create bucket.

Step 4: Configure Bucket Permissions for Public Access

1. After creating the bucket, click on the bucket name to open its settings.

2. Go to the Permissions tab.

3. Under Block public access (bucket settings), click on Edit.

4. Uncheck the option Block all public access and acknowledge the warning by checking the confirmation box.

5. Click Save changes and Confirm.

Step 5: Add a Bucket Policy

1. Still under the Permissions tab, scroll down to the Bucket policy section and click Edit.

2. Add the following JSON policy to grant public read access to all objects in the bucket:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Sid": "PublicReadGetObject",
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
    }
  ]
}

3. Replace your-bucket-name with the name of your bucket.

4. Click Save changes.

Step 6: Upload Files to the Bucket

Using the AWS Management Console

1. Go back to the Objects tab.

2. Click on the Upload button.

3. In the upload window, drag and drop the files you want to upload or use the Add files button to select files from your computer.

4. Click Upload to start the upload process.

5. Once uploaded, the files will be listed in your bucket.

Using the AWS CLI (Optional)

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

Use the following command to upload a file:

aws s3 cp path/to/your/file s3://your-bucket-name/

2. Replace path/to/your/file with the path to your file and your-bucket-name with the name of your S3 bucket.

Step 7: Accessing Your Files

1. Once the files are uploaded, you can access them publicly.

2. The URL for each file will be in the format: https://your-bucket-name.s3.amazonaws.com/your-file-name.

3. For example, if your bucket name is my-public-bucket and your file name is example.jpg, the public URL will be: https://my-public-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/example.jpg.

Best Practices:

Security: Be cautious when making a bucket public. Only make public the data you intend to share publicly. Avoid storing sensitive data in public buckets.

Bucket Naming: Choose a meaningful and descriptive bucket name.

IAM Policies: Use IAM roles and policies to manage permissions effectively.

Monitor Usage: Regularly check the usage and access logs of your S3 bucket to ensure there is no unauthorized access.

Conclusion:

SSH-ing into a Linux EC2 instance is a fundamental skill for anyone working with AWS. By following these steps, you should be able to securely connect to your instance and manage it as needed. Remember to keep your private key secure and to follow best practices for securing your instances, such as regularly updating software and using security groups effectively. By mastering these basics, you can take full advantage of the flexibility and power that AWS EC2 provides.