Introduction to saml2aws and Its Role in AWS Authentication

Secure and seamless authentication is paramount in AWS cloud environments. saml2aws is a command-line tool that simplifies AWS authentication by integrating with various SAML-based Single Sign-On (SSO) providers. With saml2aws, users can leverage their SSO credentials to obtain temporary AWS credentials for accessing resources, improving efficiency while meeting security requirements. For those working on Windows, setting up saml2aws via the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) can provide a Unix-based environment ideal for seamless AWS access.

This guide will walk you through installing saml2aws on Ubuntu via WSL to streamline your AWS authentication process.

Setting Up Ubuntu on Windows WSL: A Primer

If you haven’t already set up Ubuntu on WSL, follow these steps:

  1. Enable WSL on your Windows system by running the following command in PowerShell as an administrator:
    wsl –install
  2. Install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your username and password.

Once set up, launch Ubuntu on WSL. You’re now ready to proceed with installing saml2aws.

Downloading and Extracting saml2aws

  1. Download the Latest Release of saml2aws from GitHub: Open Ubuntu on WSL and run the following commands to download the latest version:
    wget https://github.com/Versent/saml2aws/releases/latest/download/saml2aws_$(uname -s)_$(uname -m).tar.gz -O saml2aws.tar.gz
  2. Extract the tar.gz File. After the download completes, extract the file:
    tar -xzf saml2aws.tar.gz

Making saml2aws Executable and Moving It to the Bin Directory

  1. Make saml2aws Executable:
    chmod +x saml2aws
  2. Move saml2aws to the /usr/local/bin Directory: Moving saml2aws to /usr/local/bin makes it globally accessible from any location in your terminal.
    sudo mv saml2aws /usr/local/bin/

Verifying saml2aws Installation and Checking Version

To ensure that saml2aws is correctly installed, verify the installation by checking its version:

saml2aws –version

You should see the current version number displayed. This confirms that saml2aws is installed and ready for AWS authentication on your Ubuntu WSL.

Conclusion: Streamlining AWS Access with saml2aws on Ubuntu WSL

With saml2aws now installed on your Ubuntu WSL, AWS authentication becomes streamlined, especially for those using SSO providers. This setup improves efficiency by leveraging Linux-based tools in WSL and enhances security by adhering to SSO practices.

References

Install the AWS SAM CLI

Install Windows Subsystem for Linux on your EC2 Windows instance