Configure Linux/Unix instances with launch scripts in Lightsail
When you create a Linux or Unix-based instance, you can add a launch script to add or update software, or configure your instance in some other way. To configure a Windows-based instance with additional data, see Configure your new Lightsail instance using Windows PowerShell.
Note
Depending on the machine image you choose, the command to get software on your instance
varies. Amazon Linux uses yum, while Debian and Ubuntu both use
apt-get. WordPress and other application images use apt-get
because they run Debian as their operating system. FreeBSD and openSUSE require additional
user configuration to use custom tools such as freebsd-update or
zypper (openSUSE).
Example: Configure an Ubuntu server to install Node.js
The following example updates the package list and then installs Node.js through the
apt-get command.
-
On the Create an instance page, choose Ubuntu on the OS Only tab.
-
Scroll down and choose Add launch script.
-
Type the following:
# update package list apt-get update -y # install some of my favorite tools apt-get install nodejs -yNote
Commands you send to configure your server are run as root, so you don't need to include
sudobefore your commands. -
Choose Create instance.
Example: Configure a WordPress server to download and install a plugin
The following example updates the package list, and then downloads and installs the
BuddyPress plugin
-
On the Create an instance page, choose WordPress.
-
Choose Add launch script.
-
Type the following:
# update package list apt-get update # download wordpress plugin wget "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.14.0.0.zip" apt-get install unzip # unzip into wordpress plugin directory unzip buddypress.14.0.0.zip -d /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/plugins -
Choose Create instance.
