When I tried to run an AWS CLI command in my terminal, I got the error 'Missing credentials in config, if using AWS_CONFIG_FILE, set AWS_SDK_LOAD_CONFIG=1'. This can happen, especially when you're working with custom configuration files or using automation scripts.
I also searched for a solution and tried many approaches, but this worked for me. If you're seeing the same error, here's what it means and how to fix it:
This error shows up when the AWS CLI or SDK can't find the credentials it needs to authenticate your requests. It usually happens if you're using a custom configuration file and the AWS SDK isn't set up to load it.
1. Configure Your AWS Credentials
Make sure your AWS credentials are set up by running the following command in your terminal:
aws configure
You will be prompted to enter the following information:
-
Access Key ID: Your unique access key.
-
Secret Access Key: Your secret key.
-
Default region name: The AWS region you want to use (e.g., us-east-1).
-
Default output format: The format for AWS CLI output (e.g., json).
This command saves the necessary credentials for your AWS account.
2. Set the AWS_SDK_LOAD_CONFIG Environment Variable
If you are using a custom AWS config file, set the following environment variable to ensure the AWS SDK loads it:
export AWS_SDK_LOAD_CONFIG=1
This step allows the AWS SDK to read from your configuration files.
3. Check Your Credentials File
Ensure your credentials are correctly saved in the ~/.aws/credentials file. Open the file and check that it looks like this:
[default]
aws_access_key_id = YOUR_ACCESS_KEY
aws_secret_access_key = YOUR_SECRET_KEY
Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY and YOUR_SECRET_KEY with your actual keys.
4. Restart the Terminal
After setting the environment variable, restart your terminal. You can also run the following command to refresh your terminal configuration:
For Bash users:
source ~/.bashrc
For Zsh users:
source ~/.zshrc
To learn more about AWS CLI and gain a deeper understanding, click here.
