How to Set Up an EC2 Instance with a Custom AMI

AWS

Why Use a Custom AMI?

When launching an EC2 instance, you usually start with a basic Amazon Machine Image (AMI), which is like a template. However, setting up a new server each time can be time-consuming if you need to,

Install the same software (Apache, Node.js, MySQL, etc.).
Configure system settings, users, and security.
Set up applications repeatedly for multiple instances.

To save time, AWS allows you to create a custom AMI with all your required configurations. This means whenever you launch a new instance, it already includes everything you need, making deployments faster and easier.

Step 1. Launch an EC2 Instance.

Log in to AWS Console and go to EC2 Dashboard.
Click Launch Instance, and Choose an Ubuntu AMI.
Select Instance Type (e.g., t2.micro for free tier).
Configure Security Group Allow SSH (port 22) and HTTP (port 80).
Click Launch Instance and connect via SSH.

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-instance-ip

Step 2. Install and Configure Software.

Update the System & Install Apache Web Server.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Check Apache is Running.

sudo systemctl status apache2

Test in Browser.

http://your-ec2-public-ip

You should see the Apache default page.

Step 3. Create a Custom AMI.

Go to EC2 Dashboard, and select the running instance.
Click Actions Image and Templates, Create Image.
Enter a Name & Description Click Create Image.
The AMI creation will take a few minutes.

Now, your custom AMI is saved and can be used anytime.

Step 4. Launch a New Instance from the Custom AMI.

Go to EC2 Console and click Launch Instance.
Click My AMIs Select the AMI you created.
Now confirm the changes.
Choose Instance Type, Security Group, and Key Pair.
Click Launch and connect via SSH.
Check if Apache is Pre-installed.

If it's running, your custom AMI works perfectly.

Conclusion

Using a custom AMI saves time and effort because every new EC2 instance you launch already includes all the software and settings you configured earlier.

Instead of setting up everything manually each time, you can launch pre-configured instances in minutes.
This is especially useful for scaling applications, testing environments, and creating backups.