Frequently Asked Questions
LocalStack Core FAQs
How to update my LocalStack CLI?
If the LocalStack CLI version is heavily outdated, it might lead to issues with container startup and debug commands. If you are using an older version of LocalStack, you can update it by running the following command:
pip install --upgrade localstack localstack-extIf you are running a newer version of LocalStack, you can check the version by running the following command:
localstack update localstack-cliIs using localhost.localstack.cloud:4566 to set as the endpoint for AWS services recommended?
localhost.localstack.cloud is the recommended endpoint - especially for S3, in order to enable host-based bucket endpoints. For most of the other services, it is fine to use localhost:4566. Users can rely on the localhost.localstack.cloud domain to be publicly resolvable, and we also publish an SSL certificate that is automatically used inside LocalStack, in order to enable HTTPS endpoints with valid certificates.
Across our docs, we use localhost:4566 instead of localhost.localstack.cloud, to provide a fallback option to users. The primary reason being that some users are behind a corporate firewall or an internet service provider that does not allow resolving localhost.localstack.cloud properly.
How should I use the latest LocalStack Docker images?
To use the latest LocalStack Docker images, you either run docker pull localstack/localstack:latest or use the docker-compose pull if the image is set to localstack/localstack:latest. You can also specify a particular digest to make sure you are using the correct image, like this: localstack/localstack:latest@sha256:f803cc657843c6c7acf2631d15600783c3593e496fba418415afc87680d9d5bc.
You can also use the our diagnose endpoint (http://localhost:4566/_localstack/diagnose) to get the specific image hashes and compare them with the current (latest) images on Docker Hub.
The diagnose endpoint is only available if you run LocalStack with DEBUG=1.
How can I access LocalStack from an alternative computer?
You can access LocalStack from an alternative computer, by exposing port 4566 to the public network interface (0.0.0.0 instead of 127.0.0.1) in your docker-compose.yml configuration. However, we do not recommend using this setup - for security reasons, as it exposes your local computer to potential attacks from the outside world.
How do I resolve connection issues with proxy blocking access to LocalStack’s BigData image?
A company proxy can lead to connection issues. To allow access to the localstack/bigdata image, use the following Docker configuration in your docker-compose.yml file:
...
environment:
- HTTP_PROXY =
- NO_PROXY = .s3.localhost.localstack.cloud,127.0.0.1,*.localhost
...
How to troubleshoot the DNS issue for LocalStack’s BigData image?
Occasionally, users have wrong configuration of their docker-compose.yml or ENV variables. ´Some Glue scripts depend on the local DNS setup. To resolve DNS issues, set TCP port 53 in LocalStack’s docker-compose.yml file:
ports:
- "53:53"
…
Furthermore, use either the default name localstack_main for the container, or alternatively configure the environment variable MAIN_CONTAINER_NAME to point to the correct name.
container_name: localstack_main
Ensure that 127.0.0.1 is configured as the target DNS server for the bigdata container:
docker inspect localstack_bigdata --format '{{ .HostConfig.Dns }}'
Output: [127.0.0.1]
You can test it by attempting to resolve an S3 hostname, which should then internally get routed to the LocalStack API endpoints.
docker exec -it localstack_bigdata curl -vk https://test.s3.amazonaws.com
Why is it that LocalStack is unable to connect to internet?
You might be able to connect to the internet, but your Docker container can’t connect. This can affect start of LocalStack.
More details can be found on official docker documentation.
Solution for this is enabling the IP forwarding:
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
Why can’t my other Docker containers reach LocalStack?
Using LocalStack inside a Docker network with multiple other containers can lead to connectivity issues from/to those containers. For example, a container which attempts to deploy a stack and interact with the services directly, from within the same Docker network.
To resolve this, set HOSTNAME_EXTERNAL for correct response values for endpoints. Use network aliases to ensure resolution of localhost.localstack.cloud to the correct container:
...
networks:
default:
aliases:
- localhost.localstack.cloud
sdkstack:
image: ubuntu
command: ["bash", "-c", "apt update && apt install -y curl && sleep 5 && curl -v http://localhost.localstack.cloud:4566/_localstack/health"]
...
Note the missing network: bridge here! The default bridge network does not support DNS name resolution.
How to resolve the pull rate limit issue for LocalStack’s Docker image?
If you receive ERROR: toomanyrequests: Too Many Requests. when pulling the LocalStack Docker image, you have reached your pull rate limit. You may increase the limit by authenticating and upgrading. Set your DockerHub credentials:
(sudo) docker login --username=yourUsername
You can add in the volume ~/.docker/config.json:/config.json where the config.json is saved and point the DOCKER_CONFIG=/config.json variable to the JSON file in the Docker image.
...
environment:
- DOCKER_CONFIG=/config.json
volumes:
- ~/.docker/config.json:/config.json
...
LocalStack Platform FAQs
How do I check if my API key is valid and activated?
The easiest way to check if LocalStack Pro or Enterprise is activated is to check the health endpoint of LocalStack for a list of the running services:
$ curl localhost:4566/_localstack/health | jqIf a Pro-only service – like XRay – is running, LocalStack Pro or Enterprise has started successfully. If your API key is invalid, you will see an error message like this in the logs of LocalStack:
Activation key "abc..."(10) is invalid or expired! Reason: ...
If this error occurs, something is wrong with your API key or license. Make sure your API key is set correctly (check for typos!) and your license is valid. If the API key still does not work, please contact us.
How are CI credits in LocalStack calculated?
A CI key allows you to use LocalStack in your CI environment. Every activation of a CI key consumes one build credit. This means that with every build triggered through the LocalStack container you will consume one credit. To understand the CI pricing across our product tiers, follow up with our LocalStack in CI documentation.
What should I do if I cannot connect to LocalStack API?
If your log output contains lines like:
WARNING:localstack_ext.bootstrap.licensing: Error activating API key "abc..."(10):
...
ConnectionRefusedError: [Errno 111] Connection refused
LocalStack cannot contact our API to perform the license activation. Confirm with your network administrator that no policies block the connection to our backend.
What should I do if I cannot resolve api.localstack.cloud?
Log output like the following indicates that your machine cannot resolve the domain of the LocalStack API.
WARNING:localstack_ext.bootstrap.licensing: Error activating API key "abc..."(10):
...
socket.gaierror: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution
Confirm this by using a tool like dig:
$ dig api.localstack.cloudIf the result has some other status than status: NOERROR, your machine cannot resolve this domain.
Some corporate DNS servers might filter requests to certain domains. Contact your network administrator to safelist localstack.cloud domains.
How does LocalStack Pro handle security patches and bug fixes?
We take security seriously and respond to any emergency vulnerabilities as soon as possible. Our cloud provider (AWS) handles most of the infrastructure maintenance for us. We also use Infrastructure-as-Code scripts to ensure that our infrastructure configuration is consistent and recoverable in case of a disaster.
How does LocalStack ensure the security of its containers and images?
Our software assets are regularly checked for vulnerabilities, such as code issues and outdated dependencies. We use Dependabot to scan our GitHub repositories, and Trivy as well as Snyk (among other security tools) to scan our Docker images.
Do you have any penetration test reports or SOC2 reports that demonstrate your security compliance?
We conduct regular penetration tests and audits to ensure our services are secure and compliant. If you want to access our security documentation and test reports, please contact us at info@localstack.cloud, and we will be happy to share them with you.
Does LocalStack provide offline capabilities?
LocalStack Community and Pro/Team provide limited offline capabilities. To use a fully-fledged offline mode, you may use LocalStack Enterprise, which can be used in air-gapped environments. The regular LocalStack Docker images may need to download additional dependencies for specific services (e.g., Elasticsearch, Big Data services) at runtime, while the offline image bakes all dependencies into the image, along with any other configuration that you might need. For more details, please take a look at our Enterprise offering.