¶ AWS Cloud9
¶ Tools
¶ Introduction to the AWS Cloud9 Course
In recent years, the landscape of software development has undergone a deep transformation, shaped by the shift toward cloud-native architectures, remote-first collaboration, and distributed development teams. Tools that once served primarily as local utilities have evolved into sophisticated cloud platforms that streamline workflows, remove barriers to entry, and bring powerful computing capabilities into the hands of developers everywhere. Among these modern tools, AWS Cloud9 stands out as a thoughtful reimagination of the development environment itself—a fully cloud-based IDE that offers flexibility, collaboration, scalability, and deep integration with the Amazon Web Services ecosystem. This course, spanning one hundred comprehensive articles, is designed to guide you through AWS Cloud9 not only as a browser-based editor but as a development platform that reshapes how developers approach building, testing, and deploying applications in the cloud.
To appreciate AWS Cloud9, it helps to step back and reflect on how development environments have traditionally functioned. For decades, developers worked primarily through local setups—installing compilers, configuring runtimes, adjusting environment variables, managing SDKs, handling library conflicts, and ensuring that local machines mirrored production environments closely enough to avoid unpleasant surprises during deployment. While this model served the industry well for many years, the rise of distributed systems, containerization, microservices, and cloud platforms exposed its limitations. Modern teams need environments that can align development more closely with production, accelerate onboarding, simplify collaboration, and support remote work without friction. AWS Cloud9 was created in response to these evolving needs.
More than just an IDE that runs in the browser, Cloud9 represents an important conceptual shift: the development environment becomes part of the cloud infrastructure. It is no longer isolated, fragile, or bound to a particular machine. Instead, it becomes portable, scalable, shareable, and integrated. With Cloud9, developers can access their environment from anywhere, on any device, without installing additional tools. This mobility is not merely convenient; it supports global collaboration, enabling teams to work in real time with consistent configurations and identical runtime behaviors. The cloud becomes both the development surface and the execution platform, eliminating many of the traditional boundaries that once complicated software creation.
AWS Cloud9 is built with a deep awareness of the broader AWS ecosystem. Unlike traditional IDEs that require plugins, manual configuration, or complex workflows to integrate with cloud services, Cloud9 is natively connected to AWS. Developers can write code and immediately deploy it to AWS Lambda, EC2, ECS, or serverless pipelines. They can create, modify, and manage AWS resources from within the IDE itself. The integration extends into IAM permissions, terminal access, environment variables, and debugging. As a result, the development workflow becomes more fluid. Instead of switching constantly between different tools, consoles, and editors, developers can remain within a unified environment where coding, building, testing, and deployment coexist naturally.
This deep integration is particularly transformative in the realm of serverless computing. AWS Lambda encourages developers to write small, event-driven functions that scale automatically. Yet, writing and debugging serverless functions locally can be challenging because the execution environment rarely mirrors AWS perfectly. Cloud9 solves this by giving developers a cloud-native workspace where Lambda functions run in conditions nearly identical to their production execution. It allows debugging, environment configuration, and execution testing with remarkable accuracy. For teams building serverless architectures, Cloud9 becomes an essential companion—one that brings predictability and reduces uncertainty.
Another important strength of Cloud9 lies in its collaborative capabilities. Traditional development environments often isolate developers, requiring manual sharing of configuration details, inconsistent tool versions, or differing operating system behaviors. Cloud9, however, was designed for teams. Multiple developers can view and edit code simultaneously, comment on one another’s changes, and even share terminals securely. This collaborative workspace mirrors the experience of shared documents but with the sophistication of a professional development tool. In fast-moving teams or educational settings, this feature accelerates learning, removes barriers between team members, and ensures that knowledge flows freely across the organization.
From a workflow perspective, Cloud9 simplifies onboarding in ways that traditional IDEs cannot. Historically, onboarding new developers often involved lengthy setup instructions: installing tools, configuring databases, matching runtime versions, syncing repositories, and resolving dependency conflicts. With Cloud9, a new team member can begin working almost immediately. Their environment is preconfigured in the cloud, consistent with their colleagues’ setups, and ready for immediate productivity. This dramatic reduction in onboarding friction is especially valuable in large organizations or teams that frequently bring in contractors, interns, or collaborators.
This course will thoroughly explore Cloud9’s environment model—how workspaces are managed, how environments are provisioned through EC2 or connected to existing servers via SSH, how permissions and access control work, and how environments scale across different AWS resources. Understanding this architecture is essential for appreciating Cloud9 beyond its surface. It is not simply a browser editor; it is a cloud-powered interface that sits on top of fully capable compute instances. This architectural clarity empowers developers to design workflows that take full advantage of AWS resources, whether building containerized applications, microservices, machine learning prototypes, or distributed data pipelines.
Cloud9’s support for multiple programming languages, integrated debugging, built-in terminal access, and extensive configuration options make it extremely versatile. Developers can use it to write everything from simple scripts to complex enterprise systems. The IDE supports syntax highlighting, linting, code completion, version control integration, and a host of features that enhance productivity. These capabilities are not superficial; they are deeply integrated into the underlying environment. When developers run a command in the terminal, it executes directly on the associated EC2 instance or remote environment, ensuring seamless alignment between editor and runtime.
Another area of significant importance is Cloud9’s role in container-based development. Containers have become a fundamental part of modern architecture. They isolate dependencies, standardize environments, and simplify deployment pipelines. Cloud9 integrates naturally with Docker and containerized workflows, allowing developers to create, build, and run containers directly from the IDE. When using ECS or EKS, Cloud9 becomes an orchestration hub—one where developers can write container configuration files, build images, deploy resources, and debug containerized workloads without stepping outside the cloud environment. For teams embracing DevOps workflows, this alignment reduces friction, enhances consistency, and encourages best practices.
Cloud9 also provides a powerful window into DevOps and CI/CD pipelines. Developers can integrate the IDE with AWS CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodePipeline, and CodeDeploy. This integration enables a continuous workflow: write code in Cloud9, commit changes to CodeCommit, trigger builds automatically, run tests through CodeBuild, and deploy through pipeline stages. By embedding version control and pipeline integration directly in the cloud workspace, Cloud9 removes barriers that often slow DevOps adoption. The result is a more streamlined development-to-deployment lifecycle.
Security, often overlooked in discussions about IDEs, plays a central role in Cloud9’s design. Because environments are tied to IAM roles and AWS identity, fine-grained control over access, permissions, resource visibility, and user actions forms an integral part of the platform. Teams can enforce principle-of-least-privilege access, ensure that development environments do not expose unnecessary attack surfaces, and integrate Cloud9 into their larger security strategies. This approach stands in contrast to local IDEs, where sensitive configurations, keys, or credentials are often stored on developer machines. Cloud9 enables secure development practices by centralizing resources in a controlled, auditable environment.
As you move through this course, you will encounter a recurring theme: Cloud9 is as much an educational environment as a professional tool. Because it removes setup barriers and provides collaboration mechanisms, instructors across the world use Cloud9 to teach programming, cloud computing, serverless development, data analytics, and automation. Students can begin coding immediately without worrying about installing compilers or configuring machines. The instructor can observe code in real time, guide students, and maintain consistent expectations. This educational dimension reinforces Cloud9’s value across skill levels and disciplines.
At a deeper level, Cloud9 raises important questions about the future of development environments. As software continues migrating toward distributed systems, machine learning pipelines, event-driven backends, and cloud infrastructures, the development environment must evolve accordingly. Cloud9 demonstrates that the IDE can itself become a cloud-native component—scalable, collaborative, integrated, and aligned with production environments. This shift challenges long-held assumptions about what development workflows should look like, encouraging developers to explore new patterns of working and to rethink what it means to build software in a connected world.
Throughout the 100 articles in this course, you will examine Cloud9 from both a practical and conceptual perspective. You will learn how to configure environments, manage compute resources, integrate with version control systems, deploy applications, debug serverless functions, work with containers, and optimize cloud workflows. You will also study the underlying principles that shape Cloud9—principles of cloud-native design, remote collaboration, resource provisioning, and secure development. By the end of the course, Cloud9 will appear not merely as a browser-based editor but as a sophisticated, cloud-integrated development ecosystem that transforms how software is produced.
AWS Cloud9 offers a model of development grounded in accessibility, collaboration, and cloud-native alignment. It recognizes that modern software systems are too distributed and too complex to rely solely on local environments. It brings the development process into the cloud because that is where applications increasingly live, scale, evolve, and operate. Whether you are building microservices, serverless architectures, data pipelines, automation scripts, or enterprise systems, Cloud9 provides a workspace designed to adapt to your needs and integrate seamlessly with the AWS platform.
This course invites you to explore Cloud9 with intention and curiosity. It is an opportunity to rethink familiar workflows, understand how cloud-native tools reshape development, and appreciate the subtle but significant advantages of building software within the very ecosystem where it will ultimately run. By the end of the journey, you will not only master Cloud9 but gain a broader understanding of what it means to develop in the cloud era—where environments are fluid, collaboration is inherent, and the distance between idea and deployment becomes remarkably small.
¶ AWS Cloud9
¶ Beginner Level
1. Introduction to Cloud Development Environments
2. What is AWS Cloud9 and Why Use It?
3. Setting Up Your First AWS Cloud9 Account
4. Navigating the AWS Cloud9 Console
5. Exploring the Features of AWS Cloud9 IDE
6. How to Create Your First Cloud9 Environment
7. Understanding Cloud9’s Integrated Terminal
8. Introduction to AWS Cloud9 File System and Folder Structure
9. Working with Cloud9’s Code Editor: Basic Features
10. Customizing the AWS Cloud9 Environment
11. Using Cloud9 for the First Time: An Overview of the Dashboard
12. Understanding the Concept of Workspaces in AWS Cloud9
13. Connecting Your AWS Account to Cloud9
14. How to Install and Use Plugins in AWS Cloud9
15. Opening, Editing, and Saving Files in Cloud9
16. Introduction to AWS Cloud9’s Version Control Integration (Git)
17. Understanding the Cloud9 Terminal: Basics of Command Line
18. Writing and Running Your First Python Script in Cloud9
19. Understanding the Cloud9 Workspace Settings
20. How to Manage and Delete Cloud9 Environments
21. Setting Up Cloud9 for Web Development Projects
22. Introduction to Cloud9's Integrated Debugging Tools
23. How to Work with Multiple Files in Cloud9
24. Collaborating in Cloud9: Real-Time Sharing and Editing
25. Setting Up AWS Cloud9 for Node.js Development
26. Running and Testing Applications in Cloud9
27. Setting Up AWS Cloud9 for JavaScript Development
28. Installing Packages in AWS Cloud9 with NPM
29. Introduction to Cloud9's Auto-Completion and IntelliSense
30. Getting Started with Cloud9’s Terminal Shortcuts
¶ Intermediate Level
31. Understanding AWS Cloud9 Environment Types
32. How to Create and Use Custom Environments in Cloud9
33. Connecting AWS Cloud9 to Your GitHub Repository
34. Collaborative Development in Cloud9: Working with Team Members
35. Debugging with AWS Cloud9: An Introduction to Debugging Tools
36. How to Use Breakpoints in AWS Cloud9’s Debugger
37. Configuring and Managing AWS Cloud9 IAM Roles
38. Managing Access Permissions in AWS Cloud9 Workspaces
39. Working with Multiple Programming Languages in Cloud9 (Python, JavaScript, Ruby, etc.)
40. How to Set Up a Local Development Server in Cloud9
41. Using Cloud9’s Integrated AWS SDK for Cloud Services
42. Working with AWS Lambda Functions in Cloud9
43. How to Set Up and Run a MySQL Database in Cloud9
44. How to Integrate AWS Cloud9 with S3 for Storage
45. Building REST APIs in Cloud9 using Node.js
46. Introduction to Cloud9’s Integrated SSH Terminal for Remote Servers
47. Automating Cloud9 Environment Setup with Custom Scripts
48. Cloud9 Debugging for Web Applications: Best Practices
49. Creating and Managing Cloud9 Snapshots for Workspace Backup
50. How to Run Docker Containers in AWS Cloud9
51. How to Use AWS Cloud9 for Full-Stack Development Projects
52. Connecting AWS Cloud9 to Other AWS Services (Lambda, EC2, RDS, etc.)
53. Integrating AWS Cloud9 with CodeBuild for CI/CD
54. How to Deploy Applications from Cloud9 to EC2 Instances
55. Setting Up AWS Cloud9 for Data Science Projects
56. Introduction to Jupyter Notebooks in AWS Cloud9
57. Configuring AWS Cloud9 for Collaborative Pair Programming
58. Using Cloud9's Integrated Terminal with AWS CLI for AWS Management
59. Setting Up AWS Cloud9 for Docker-based Development
60. Integrating Git with Cloud9 for Source Control
¶ Advanced Level
61. Mastering AWS Cloud9: Advanced Configuration Tips
62. How to Create and Deploy Serverless Applications with Cloud9 and AWS Lambda
63. Automating Your Cloud9 Workflow with Custom Bash Scripts
64. Advanced Collaboration: Managing Multiple Developers in Cloud9
65. Integrating AWS Cloud9 with AWS CodePipeline for Continuous Integration
66. Building Scalable Microservices in Cloud9 Using Docker and AWS
67. Using Cloud9 to Develop AWS CloudFormation Templates
68. Advanced Debugging Techniques in AWS Cloud9
69. Using AWS Cloud9 to Manage and Analyze Log Files
70. Deploying and Managing Databases with AWS Cloud9 and RDS
71. Setting Up Virtual Machines in AWS Cloud9 for Development
72. How to Use Cloud9 for Machine Learning and AI Development
73. Integrating AWS Cloud9 with AWS CloudTrail for Enhanced Logging and Auditing
74. Setting Up Serverless Backends with AWS Cloud9 and API Gateway
75. Automating Cloud9 Environment Provisioning with AWS CloudFormation
76. Scaling Cloud9 Environments for Larger Projects and Teams
77. Configuring Cloud9 for Full-Stack JavaScript Development (MEAN/MERN Stack)
78. Setting Up Real-Time Collaboration Features in AWS Cloud9
79. How to Use Cloud9 with Terraform for Infrastructure as Code
80. Building Data Pipelines Using AWS Cloud9 and AWS Glue
81. Advanced Container Management: Running Kubernetes in AWS Cloud9
82. Using AWS Cloud9 with AWS X-Ray for Tracing and Debugging Distributed Systems
83. Managing and Monitoring AWS Cloud9 with AWS CloudWatch
84. How to Build and Deploy Microservices with AWS Cloud9 and ECS
85. How to Set Up and Use Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) in Cloud9
86. Working with Cloud9 for DevOps and CI/CD Pipelines
87. Monitoring Cloud9 Environments with AWS CloudWatch and Metrics
88. Customizing Cloud9 with Advanced Configuration Files
89. Optimizing Cloud9 Workspaces for Large-Scale Projects
90. How to Use AWS Cloud9 with AWS Elastic Beanstalk for Web Applications
91. Integrating Cloud9 with Amazon S3 for Web Hosting and Static Sites
92. Using Cloud9 for Building and Deploying Secure Web Applications
93. Cloud9 and AWS IoT: Development and Testing for IoT Applications
94. Managing Resource Access in Cloud9 with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
95. Building and Managing Secure APIs in AWS Cloud9 with API Gateway
96. Integrating AWS Cloud9 with AWS Step Functions for Workflow Automation
97. Using AWS Cloud9 to Create Multi-Region Applications
98. Automating Cloud9 Workflows with AWS Lambda Triggers
99. Advanced Techniques for Handling Cloud9 Workspaces at Scale
100. Future of Cloud9: Exploring New Features and Upcoming Integrations with AWS Services