# Launch a Linux Virtual Machine with Amazon Lightsail
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| **AWS experience** | Beginner |
| **Time to complete** | 10 minutes |
| **Cost to complete** | [Free Tier](https://aws.amazon.com/free/?e=gs2020&p=build-a-web-app-intro) eligible |
| **Requires** | [\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/launch-a-virtual-machine.html) |
| **Last updated** | Aug 23, 2022 |
## Overview
Lightsail is one of the easiest ways to get started on AWS. It offers virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking, plus a cost-effective, monthly plan. It’s designed to help you start small, and then scale as you grow.
In this tutorial, you create an Amazon Linux instance in Amazon Lightsail in seconds. After the instance is up and running, you connect to it via SSH within the Lightsail console using the browser-based SSH terminal.
[Get started with Lightsail for free](https://portal.aws.amazon.com/billing/signup?client=lightsail&fid=1A3F6B376ECAC516-2C15C39C5ACECACB&redirect_url=https%3A%2F%2Flightsail.aws.amazon.com%2Fls%2Fsignup#/start)
## Implementation
### Step 1: Create an Amazon Lightsail account
+ There are no charges for using Amazon Lightsail for this tutorial.
[Sign up for an AWS account](https://signin.aws.amazon.com/signup?request_type=register)
Already have an account? [Sign-in](https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/ls/)
### Step 2: Create an Amazon Linux instance in Lightsail
+ Choose **Create instance** in the **Instances** tab of the Lightsail home page.
![\[The configuration settings interface.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/configuration-settings-interface.png)
### Step 3: Configure your Amazon Lightsail instance
1. Choose a Region
An AWS Region and Availability Zone is selected for you. Choose **Change AWS Region and Availability Zone** to create your instance in another location.
**Note**
Static IP addresses can only be attached to instances in the same region.
![\[The selection interface.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/selection-interface.png)
1. Choose an instance image
Choose the **Linux/Unix** platform option, and choose **OS Only** to view the operating system-only instance images available in Lightsail.
To learn more about Lightsail instance images, see [Choose an Amazon Lightsail instance image](https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/ls/docs/en_us/articles/compare-options-choose-lightsail-instance-image).
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing options to select an availability zone, Linux/Unix platform, and OS-only blueprint for instance creation.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-options-select.png)
1. Choose the blueprint
Choose the **Amazon Linux 2 blueprint** option.
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing OS blueprint options, with Amazon Linux 2 selected and detailed description displayed below.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-blueprint-options.png)
1. (Optional) Configure launch script
Choose **Add launch script** to add a shell script that will run on your instance when it launches.
![\[The configuration settings interface.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/configuration-settings-interface-1.png)
1. (Optional) Choose an SSH key pair
Choose **Change SSH key pair** to select, create, or upload the key pair you would like to use to SSH into your instance.
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing options to change, create, or upload an SSH key pair for connecting to an instance.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-options-change.png)
1. (Optional) Configure automatic snapshots
Choose **Enable Automatic Snapshots** to automatically create a backup image of your instance and attached disks on a daily schedule.
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing the option to enable automatic snapshots with a time selection dropdown set to 00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (GMT+0).\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-option-enable.png)
1. Select a pricing plan
Choose your instance plan. You can try the \$13.50 USD Lightsail plan free for the first three months (up to 750 hours). We'll credit the first three months to your account.
Learn more on our [Lightsail pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/lightsail/pricing/?p=gsrc&c=ho_lvm).
![\[Amazon Lightsail pricing plans with options ranging from $3.50 to $40 per month, highlighting features like memory, storage, and free trials for the first three months.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-pricing-plans-options.png)
1. Specify the instance name
Enter a name for your instance.
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing a section to identify an instance with the name "Amazon_Linux_2-1" and quantity set to 1.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-section-identify.png)
1. (Optional) Add instance tags
Choose one of the following options to add tags to your instance:
(Optional) Add key-only tags — Enter your new tag into the tag key text box, and press **Enter**. Choose **Save** when you’re done entering your tags to add them, or choose **Cancel** to not add them.
(Optional) Create a key-value tag — Enter a key into the **Key** text box, and a value into the **Value** text box. Choose **Save** when you’re done entering your tags, or choose **Cancel** to not add them.
Key-value tags can only be added one at a time before saving. To add more than one key-value tag, repeat the previous steps.
For more information about key-only and key-value tags, see [Tags in Amazon Lightsail](https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/ls/docs/en_us/articles/amazon-lightsail-tags).
![\[The resource creation interface.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/resource-creation-interface.png)
1. Launch the instance
Choose **Create instance**.
![\[Amazon Lightsail interface showing tagging options for resources with fields for key-only and key-value tags, and a highlighted "Create instance" button.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/lightsaillong-interface-tagging-options.png)
### Step 4: Connect your instance
Connect to your instance using the browser-based SSH terminal in Lightsail.
+ Connect to the instance terminal
In the **Instances** tab of the [Lightsail home page](https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/ls/webapp/home/instances), choose the terminal icon, or the ellipsis (⋮) icon next to the Amazon Linux instance you just created.
The browser-based SSH terminal window appears. You can type Linux commands into the browser terminal, and manage your instance without configuring an SSH client.
![\[The resource creation interface.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/hands-on/latest/launch-a-virtual-machine/images/resource-creation-interface-1.png)
## Congratulations
Congratulations\$1 You used Amazon Lightsail to easily spin up and configure a Linux instance.
Amazon Lightsail is great for developers, web pros, and anyone looking to get started on AWS in a quick and cheap way. You can launch instances, databases, and SSD-based storage; transfer data; and monitor your resources, and so much more in a managed way.
Whether you're an individual developer creating a project or a blogger creating a personal website, Amazon Lightsail is a great way for you to get started.