Amazon Q Developer CLI

Amazon Q Developer CLI

What is Amazon Q Developer CLI about?

Amazon Q Developer CLI brings a conversational AI assistant into your shell, allowing you to interact with Amazon Q's large‑language‑model capabilities without leaving the terminal. It is designed for developers who want to prototype, generate code, and get quick assistance via natural language commands.

How to use Amazon Q Developer CLI?

1. Install
   • macOS: Download the DMG from the official link.
   • Linux: Use the Ubuntu/Debian package, AppImage, or other Linux builds as described in the documentation.
2. Run the CLI

   q <subcommand>
   

   Common subcommands include login, chat, dev, and config.
3. Develop locally (if building from source)

   git clone https://github.com/aws/amazon-q-developer-cli.git
   cd amazon-q-developer-cli
   rustup default stable && rustup toolchain install nightly
   cargo run --bin chat_cli            # start the CLI
   cargo test                           # run tests
   cargo clippy                         # lint
   

Key features of Amazon Q Developer CLI

• Agentic chat: Conversational interface powered by Amazon Q LLM.
• Cross‑platform: Native binaries for macOS and multiple Linux distributions.
• Rust implementation: Fast, secure, and easy to extend.
• Shell integration: Works seamlessly with Bash, Zsh, PowerShell, etc.
• Extensible commands: Add custom subcommands via Rust crates.
• Open‑source: Dual‑licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0.

Use cases of Amazon Q Developer CLI

• Rapid prototyping: Generate code snippets or boilerplate directly from chat prompts.
• Documentation assistance: Ask the assistant to explain APIs, generate READMEs, or produce inline comments.
• Debugging help: Describe an error and receive troubleshooting steps in the terminal.
• Learning and onboarding: New team members can query language‑specific guidance without switching contexts.
• Automation: Script repetitive development tasks by invoking CLI subcommands programmatically.

FAQ from the Amazon Q Developer CLI

• Q: Do I need an AWS account? A: Yes, the CLI authenticates to Amazon Q services, which require valid AWS credentials.
• Q: Which operating systems are supported? A: macOS (DMG) and Linux (deb, AppImage, and other builds) are officially supported.
• Q: Can I contribute to the project? A: Absolutely. Fork the repository, follow the contribution guide, and submit pull requests.
• Q: How are updates handled? A: New releases are published on the GitHub releases page and via the package managers for each platform.
• Q: Is there a way to customize the model or temperature? A: Configuration options are available through the config subcommand and the docs/ directory.

Amazon Q CLI

Installation

• macOS:
  • DMG: Download now
• Linux:
  • Ubuntu/Debian
  • AppImage
  • Alternative Linux builds

Contributing

Thank you so much for considering to contribute to Amazon Q.

Before getting started, see our contributing docs.

Prerequisites

• MacOS
  • Xcode 13 or later
  • Brew

1. Clone repo

git clone https://github.com/aws/amazon-q-developer-cli.git

2. Install the Rust toolchain using Rustup:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
rustup default stable
rustup toolchain install nightly
cargo install typos-cli

3. Develop locally

• To compile and run: cargo run --bin chat_cli.
• To run tests: cargo test.
• To run lints: cargo clippy.
• To format rust files: cargo +nightly fmt.
• To run subcommands: cargo run --bin chat_cli -- {subcommand}.
  • Login would then be: cargo run --bin chat_cli -- login

Project Layout

• chat_cli - the q CLI, allows users to interface with Amazon Q Developer from the command line
• scripts/ - Contains ops and build related scripts
• crates/ - Contains all rust crates
• docs/ - Contains technical documentation

Security

For security related concerns, see here.

Licensing

This repo is dual licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0 licenses.

Those licenses can be found here and here.

“Amazon Web Services” and all related marks, including logos, graphic designs, and service names, are trademarks or trade dress of AWS in the U.S. and other countries. AWS’s trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not AWS’s, in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits AWS.