Testing out the new Amazon CodeCatalyst – Part 1

December 7, 2022
Screenshot 2022-12-06 at 6.42.43 PM
aws console search

AWS re:invent 2022 just wrapped up and one of the new services announcements during Dr. Werner's (AWS CTO) Keynotes was the preview release of Amazon CodeCatalyst. Immediately I thought to myself, this sounds pretty cool and something we need to check out.

I think it's time we took the new Amazon CodeCatalyst for a test drive. Let's see how this works and we should consider this part one because I'm not sure how this will end up.

Head on over to your AWS Console and Search for Amazon CodeCatalyst.

It looks like the region that is supported is us-west-2, which is Oregon. I'm very impressed with this because typically most services are released in us-east-1, and I like that AWS is spreading their services out a little bit more.

Click us-west-2 if you aren't there already.

us-west-2-blog
verify space
getting started

Okay, so Amazon CodeCatalyst Spaces. Looks like I need to verify my space.

I need a verification token. Ok, so dumb question....how do I get this verification token?

What does the Service Page for Amazon CodeCatalyst say?

Getting started.

  • Create a Builder ID
  • Add an AWS account
  • Create a space
  • Create a project

Sounds simple and easy enough.

How about we "Get Started"?

First CLICK Continue with AWS Builder ID

Hmm… it looks like it takes us to another website. Why not integrate it within a console?

Ok, Moving on, how about we scroll through some of the marketing on the website with

“Create your new projects with everything you need in minutes utilizing blueprints.”

“Spend more time coding in less time managing local development environments.”

“Quickly Customize your pipelines and fully-managed build environments"

"The easiest way to deploy to AWS"

Ok, enough marketing, I think it's time for us to build our first app and start.

Well, I can't sign in because I need to create an AWS Builder ID, because I don't have one, so I guess we're going to sign up. It looks like the sign-up is back at the AWS console. According to the URL, we are utilizing us-east-1 but not tied directly to your AWS Account.

Click Sign Up

catalyst marketing

On the Create AWS Builder ID page

(Note: See images below)

Enter your Email Address. Click Next

I’ll enter my name. Take note that it says “This might be visible to other people using AWS.” Now is it or isn't, I'm not sure. It just says might.

Enter Name: “The Jon Myer”. Click Next

Okay, now I need a verification code.

Heading over to my email to grab my verification code and time to verify my AWS Builder ID.

Click Verify

All right, I entered my verification code, verified, and now I need to create a password for my AWS Builder ID account. Great, another password to remember.

Enter New password.

I would love for this to be integrated within my existing AWS Account and the console, rather than me creating a separate AWS Builder ID. It should be seamlessly integrated, but we're gonna go with it. Maybe in the future, it'll be the same, and it won't feel like you're going externally

Click Create AWS AWS Builder ID.

builderid-create

Now I need to create an alias.


Welcome to Amazon CodeCatalyst, create an alias, and just a quick note that you can't change this alias after you create it.

Click Create Alias, and it's time to move over to my Space, no, not that MySpace.

I need to enter a space name. A space is where you collaborate with others and share resources for software projects.

Create a Space name: I entered “Myer Media”

Now, I need to copy my AWS Account ID and paste it in, and we can either copy it or click on verify with an AWS console.

Note that you must be logged into your console for this to work seamlessly or sort of seamlessly

Enter your AWS Account

 

verify token
CodeCatalyst Alias1
CodeCatalyst Alias

Back in the AWS Console

Make sure the Space you created is selected and you're on the Verify Amazon CodeCatalyst space page

Paste in Verification Token

Click Verify Space

aws cc console2

Back in the AWS Console

How about we take a look at some of the settings for the Space

Within my Myer Media space. I have the Amazon CodeCatalyst space details. I have an ARN tied to it. My billing details, my current tier says NONE tier. I’m wondering if it should be set to Free Tier but it does say Free tier. I'm thinking by default, I should get the free tier, which is allowed. I'm honestly not sure why it says None and not FREE but moving on.

What's next? Time to deploy a modern application project, right?

Click Go to Amazon CodeCatalyst on the Services page within the AWS Console

Oops, the requested content is not available. You might have followed a link to a page that no longer exists. If you copy and paste the URL, make sure it's complete the project. I didn't do any of that.

You might not have a role required to view this page. If you're trying to view a product project page, contact the person who invited you, or might've been deleted.

Neither of those, I should have complete access to it. All right, let's see what else is going on.

code space error1

How about we check out my Amazon CodeCatalyst profile

On the top right-hand corner, Click your username “The Jon Myer” and @myermedia is my Alias. Let's go back to Amazon CodeCatalyst within the AWS console.

Click on spaces

Click the Myer Media space that was created. Yep, looks good. I'm not sure what the next step is. Maybe we should repeat insanity.

Click "Go to Amazon CodeCatalyst" again.

Once again, it's not found, and the requested content is unavailable.

Let me check out the AWS CodeCatalyst separate site.

Heading back to codecatalyst.aws/explore.

Click Sign in and back at the same spot as Create Your Alias and my media space. Everything seems to be verified. I'm kind of lost.

Well, the next thing to do is maybe check out some of the documentation.

Back on the AWS Console for Amazon CodeCatalyst homepage. Click Getting started with Amazon CodeCatalyst on the right side.

Alternatively you can check out the User Guide.

user guide

If you're like me, you try to build something before you read the documentation, and I think that's where all the UI should be going, is that it should be kind of an intuit, click, click, click next steps and get building, and then you hit the user guide.

When you're trying to do advanced stuff, it looks like the CDK toolkit is available in the Associated App Stack. Okay, so prereqs, then create your modern three-tier web architecture Amazon CodeCatalyst and navigate to the space where you want to create the project. Well, I'm trying to navigate to the space where I created the project.

Unfortunately, the space doesn't seem to be available or working correctly. I can't go anywhere past the Amazon CodeCatalyst AWS onboarding view


I want to just be able to deploy a project. How about we Click on it again just because....

Oops, now I got a different ERROR "No Space found that matches Myer Media"

Well, it looks like this is gonna end part one of trying to configure Amazon CodeCatalyst to provision out a blueprint. Now keep in mind, we are a week past reinvent when they released it, and I'm still trying to play around and figure it out.

Stay tuned and let's see what we can do next.

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