Install AWS CLI v2 on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 (Zip, Snap, APT)

Last updated: October 13, 2026

AWS CLI v2 installs on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS with the official zip installer, the AWS-supported Snap, or (on 26.04 only) the awscli package from Ubuntu’s universe repository. The commands are the same on both releases. The screenshots in this guide were taken on Ubuntu 24.04.

Quick answer

Use the official zip installer if you want the current AWS CLI v2 and the same behavior as AWS’s documentation: curl the zip, unzip it, run sudo ./aws/install, then check aws --version. Use Snap (sudo snap install aws-cli --classic) for the shortest path on a desktop. Avoid the pip method unless you specifically need the old v1 CLI.

Method	Ubuntu 26.04	Ubuntu 24.04	Notes
Official zip installer	Supported by AWS (Ubuntu is a listed distro); not run on 26.04 here	Yes, shown below	Latest v2, installs to /usr/local/aws-cli, symlink in /usr/local/bin
Snap aws-cli	Same command	Yes, shown below	AWS-supported, auto-refreshes, cannot pin a minor version
APT awscli	v2 package 2.31.35-1 in universe (Launchpad data, 13 Oct 2026)	No candidate: apt-cache policy awscli shows Candidate: (none)	Version is fixed by the release
pip awscli	Installs v1	Installs v1	Old major version; use only if a script needs v1

What was checked for this update: the install and uninstall steps against AWS’s installation and uninstall pages, the APT versions from Launchpad publishing data, and apt-cache policy awscli on Ubuntu 24.04.5. The zip and Snap installs were not re-run on 26.04 for this update because the AWS download host was not reachable from the test sandbox.

How to Install AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 Using Snap Packet Manager?

The Snap package manager is a secure and reliable way to download, install, update, or remove multiple packages via one-line commands across multiple Linux distributions. This section will use Snap to install AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04.

Step 1: Install AWS CLI

Install the AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 from the Snap package manager in the “classic” mode:

sudo snap install aws-cli --classic

Step 2: Verify the Installation

This command will verify if the AWS CLI has been installed on Ubuntu 24.04:

aws --version

How to Uninstall AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 Using Snap Package Manager?

The AWS CLI can be removed via the Snap package manager with the given command:

sudo snap remove aws-cli

How to Install AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 From Tar.gz Source File?

Curl is a versatile command-line tool in Debian-based distributions that allows users to download and transfer data from different servers using protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, etc. The same tool is used to fetch other packages, such as when you install Go on Ubuntu 24.04. The curl utility is not pre-installed in Ubuntu 24.04. However, you can install it with this command:

sudo apt install curl

After installing curl on Ubuntu 24.04, follow the steps below to install AWS CLI.

Step 1: Install AWS CLI Using Curl

The command below downloads AWS CLI version 2 and saves it as “awscliv2.zip“:

curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"

Step 2: Unzip AWS CLI

To unzip the “awscliv2” archive on Ubuntu 24.04, run:

unzip awscliv2.zip

Step 3: Install AWS CLI

This executes the AWS CLI installer in the “aws/install” directory. Provide the password for the currently logged-in user to begin installation:

sudo ./aws/install

Step 4: Verify Installation

Verify the installation by running:

aws --version

Step 5 (only if you get “aws: command not found”): check PATH

The installer puts a symlink in /usr/local/bin, which is already in the default Ubuntu PATH, so this step is normally unnecessary. Confirm with ls -l /usr/local/bin/aws first. If the link exists but your shell cannot find it, open your own .bashrc (no sudo):

nano ~/.bashrc

Append this line, then press CTRL+X, Y and Enter to save. The screenshot below shows an older line ending in /usr/local/bin/aws; PATH needs the directory, so use /usr/local/bin:

export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/bin"

Refresh the shell:

source ~/.bashrc

You can now check the AWS CLI version without superuser privileges:

aws --version

How to Uninstall AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04?

To uninstall AWS CLI installed with the zip installer, remove the install directory. AWS documents the default as /usr/local/aws-cli (the screenshot below shows an older path, /usr/local/aws, which does not match the installer default):

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/aws-cli

Then remove the two symlinks (aws and aws_completer). Your credentials in ~/.aws/ are not touched by these commands:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/aws /usr/local/bin/aws_completer

Confirm removal — the command should return “command not found”:

aws --version

How to Install AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 Using Pip Installer?

Python provides a pip installer which is useful for downloading and installing various packages. This method installs AWS CLI v1, the older major version. Use the zip method above if you need AWS CLI v2.

Step 1: Update Apt Repository

Update the apt repository first:

sudo apt-get update

Step 2: Install Pip Installer

Install pip3 via apt:

sudo apt-get install python3-pip

Step 3: Install AWS CLI

Install AWS CLI using pip3. The --break-system-packages flag prevents the “externally managed environment” error on Ubuntu 24.04:

pip3 install awscli --break-system-packages

Step 4: Verify Installation

Check which version of AWS CLI is installed:

pip show awscli

How to Uninstall AWS CLI on Ubuntu 24.04 Using Pip Installer?

Remove AWS CLI installed via pip3:

pip3 uninstall awscli --break-system-packages

Install AWS CLI v2 with APT on Ubuntu 26.04

Launchpad lists awscli 2.31.35-1 in the universe component for Ubuntu 26.04 (resolute), and it is a v2 build. On Ubuntu 24.04 the package has no candidate, so use the zip or Snap method there. On 26.04 the command would be:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install awscli
aws --version

This APT install was not run for this update. The version is frozen for the life of the release, so choose the zip installer if you need newer AWS features.

Update AWS CLI later

AWS’s page says an installation made with the official installer can be updated with aws update (use sudo aws update for an all-users install). The Snap refreshes itself automatically. The pip and APT versions follow their own tools.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
unzip: command not found	unzip is not installed	sudo apt install unzip, then repeat the unzip step
aws: command not found after the zip install	Symlink missing or the shell has not reloaded	Run ls -l /usr/local/bin/aws; if it exists, open a new terminal or run source ~/.bashrc
Snap refuses to install	Classic confinement needs the flag	Use sudo snap install aws-cli --classic
Both Snap and zip versions installed	Two copies compete in PATH	Check which aws and aws --version, then remove the one you do not want

Next steps on a cloud workstation usually include installing kubectl on Ubuntu and, for remote servers, setting up OpenSSH Server.

Configure AWS CLI after installation

After installing AWS CLI, run aws configure to set up your credentials before running any AWS commands:

aws configure

The command prompts for four values: AWS Access Key ID, AWS Secret Access Key, default region (e.g., us-east-1), and output format (json, yaml, or text). Credentials are stored in ~/.aws/credentials and ~/.aws/config. Verify the active profile with:

aws sts get-caller-identity

Which AWS CLI install method should you use?

Use the official zip installer when you want the current AWS CLI v2 package and predictable compatibility with AWS documentation. This is the better choice for servers, automation, and development systems used for real cloud work. On a remote server you administer over SSH — after you install OpenSSH Server on Ubuntu 24.04 — the zip installer is the safer pick.

Use Snap when you want the shortest installation path on a personal Ubuntu desktop. After installation, configure credentials with aws configure only on trusted machines — avoid placing long-term access keys on shared systems.