aws / aws/aws-toolkit-vscode

AWS Toolkit generates JSON credentials incompatible with AWS CLI

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#8,467 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
bug
Dominant language
TypeScript
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2k
Forks
807
Avg merge
10h 12m
Merged PRs (30d)
7

Description

## Problem

AWS Toolkit generates credentials in **JSON format**, but the AWS CLI expects **INI-style text credentials**. As a result, credentials produced by the Toolkit cannot be used directly by the AWS CLI, causing errors when running CLI commands.

## Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Install AWS Toolkit in Visual Studio Code.
2. Configure a profile using the Toolkit.
3. Generate credentials for that profile.
4. Attempt to use the same profile with the AWS CLI, e.g., `aws s3 ls`.
5. Observe that the CLI fails to read the JSON credentials.

## Expected behavior

Credentials generated by AWS Toolkit should either:
- Be compatible with AWS CLI directly, or
- Provide an option to export in **CLI-compatible INI format**.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

The issue names no source files or tests; start by locating the Toolkit credential-generation entry point and comparing its JSON output with the AWS CLI's expected INI format. Reproduce the flow with an AWS profile and `aws s3 ls`; done means generated credentials are directly CLI-compatible or an explicit INI export option is available.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
aws, typescript
Domain
cloud, security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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