How to install AWS CLI in docker container based on image “python:2.7”

Question

I have a docker file that looks like this:

FROM python:2.7

RUN pip install awscli --upgrade --user

Once the docker image is built from this docker file, I run it. But when I get into the container and try to run the AWS CLI, it can't find it, because it is not in the PATH environment variable:

$ docker exec -ti ec4934370e37 /bin/bash

root@ec4934370e37:~# aws

bash: aws: command not found

root@ec4934370e37:/# find / -name aws

/root/.local/bin/aws

root@ec4934370e37:/# /root/.local/bin/aws --version

aws-cli/1.15.81 Python/2.7.15 Linux/4.9.87-linuxkit-aufs botocore/1.10.80

root@ec4934370e37:/# env | grep PATH

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

What is the best/easiest/least-hacky way to make sure that the AWSCLI is usable by being included in the PATH variable? Can this be done from inside the dockerfile itself?

Answer 1

You have two options here.

The first is to explicitly put the root user's local bin on the PATH with something like

ENV PATH=/root/.local/bin:$PATH

The second is to drop the --user argument on your pip install. By default, pip should write to /usr/local/bin which will be on your PATH already

You should read about Docker and enroll in Docker Training to grasp the concept in detail.

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