Anuradha Agarwal
Steps to connect to AWS EC2 Linux Instance
In this post, I will be taking you through end to end steps to launch up AWS EC2 Linux instance. Further to that, I will talk about utilities like PuTTY, PuTTYgen & WinSCP
AWS EC2 provides developers & testers with an environment to develop & test the applications. Also, with AWS free-tier account, testers & developers can have their own instances like Linux instance and do learning for tools & languages based on the particular environment.
Many a time, in my posts & videos, a prerequisite is to have a Linux environment. This post will help you to launch AWS Linux instance and hence get you ready to proceed further with your learnings.
To visit more such posts, follow: #TestEnvironment
MILESTONE STEPS
Step1 - Download PuTTY & PuTTYGen
Step 2 - Create Free-Tier Account in AWS & Login
Step 3 - Launch EC2 instance
Step 4 - Create a PPK format key with PuTTYGen
Step 5 - Login to the Linux Instance using PuTTY
Step 6 - Additional, transfer file using WinSCP
PuTTY provides an interface to ssh or telnet a client & PuTTYGen is a key generator or converter to PPK format key which is further used by PuTTY while connecting to a client.
Download these utilities from the link

Create a free tier account from here
Once done, login
We will launch EC2 instance
Go to link marked

Go to instances--> Launch Instance

While launching an instance, you will be required to create a key.
Once a key is downloaded save it in a safe location.
Make Note of IP address of the instance launched

Open PuTTYGen
Go to Conversions--> Import Key
Select the key downloaded in the previous step
Click on Generate button. Keep on moving the mouse while key gets converted to PPK format
Save Key. You will get a confirmation message. Click OK
Finally, you have a key in PPK format
Open Putty
Enter IP address

Go to SSH --> Auth
Browse private key (PPK format) which you saved in the previous step
Click on Open button
You will get Security alert.Press OK.
Login as ec2-user.Congratulations you are connected to AWS EC2 Linux Instance
