Node, and a robot on AWS

Two programs before we write real code:

Node — runs our API
AWS CLI — talks to Amazon without clicking around all day

We're not installing Postgres on the laptop. Neon has that. Mail and the later server: stay in Mumbai (ap-south-1). Pick one region. Don't wander.

node -v    # 20+
npm -v
aws --version

No aws?

# mac
brew install node awscli

# ubuntu laptop
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

CLI install if brew isn't your thing: AWS CLI getting started

Your console password is for you. The CLI wants a throwaway IAM user with an access key.

console.aws.amazon.com → IAM
Create user club-portal-cli → AdministratorAccess (class shortcut — too wide for a real job later)
Security credentials → create access key → use case CLI
Copy both values into notes on this machine. Once. Not Discord. Not a screenshot in the group chat.

aws configure

Four questions. Don't just smash Enter on the [old junk] in brackets.

It asks	Type
Access key	`AKIA…`
Secret	the long one (cursor looks empty, that's normal)
Region	`ap-south-1` — not `NEW_REGION`, not `Global`
Output	`json`

IAM is global. SES and EC2 are not. Configure wants a code like ap-south-1.

If you already saved NEW_REGION, run configure again and fix just the region. Or edit ~/.aws/config.

aws sts get-caller-identity

Arn should end with user/club-portal-cli. Laptop: those keys stay in ~/.aws, not git. Live: the same pair goes in GitHub Actions as AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID / AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY so the box can SES without a second aws configure.