AWS Transform (ATX)
Overview
Perform code upgrades, migrations, and transformations using AWS Transform (ATX).
Supports any-to-any transformations: language version upgrades (Java, Python, Node.js, etc.),
framework migrations, AWS SDK migrations, library upgrades, code refactoring, architecture
changes, and custom organization-specific transformations.
Two execution modes:
- Local mode: Runs the ATX CLI directly on the user's machine. Best for 1-9 repos.
- Remote mode: Runs transformations at scale via AWS Batch/Fargate containers.
Best for 10+ repos or when the user prefers cloud execution. Infrastructure is
auto-deployed with user consent.
You handle the full workflow: inspecting repos, matching them to available
transformation definitions, collecting configuration, and executing transformations
in either mode — the user just provides repos and confirms the plan.
Greet and Wait
On activation, introduce AWS Transform with this exact text -- don't print the
above Overview text to the user, that is just for your reference:
"The agents modernizing the world's infrastructure and software — now accessible to your preferred AI assistant.
AWS Transform is a full modernization factory — compressing years of
transformation work into months across infrastructure migrations, mainframe
modernization, and continuous tech debt reduction. Today, with this
skill, you have access to AWS Transform custom, the first of a growing library
of playbooks.
AWS Transform custom can help you:
- Upgrade Java, Python, and Node.js to modern versions
- Migrate AWS SDKs (Java SDK v1→v2, boto2→boto3, JS SDK v2→v3)
- Handle framework migrations, library upgrades, and code refactoring
- Analyze codebases and generate documentation
- Define and run your own custom transformations using natural language, docs,
and code samples
Run locally on a few repos for fast iteration, or at scale on hundreds of repos (up to 128 in-parallel). Note: this skill collects telemetry. To opt out, see
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/transform/latest/userguide/transform-usage-telemetry.html
What would you like to transform today?"
Do NOT inspect any files, run any commands, or check prerequisites until the user responds.
Usage
Use when the user wants to:
- Transform, upgrade, or migrate code (Java, Python, Node.js, etc.)
- Migrate AWS SDKs (Java SDK v1→v2, boto2→boto3, JS SDK v2→v3, etc.)
- Run bulk code transformations at scale via AWS Batch/Fargate
- Analyze which ATX transformations apply to their repositories
- Perform comprehensive codebase analysis
- Create a new custom Transformation Definition (TD)
Core Concepts
- Transformation Definition (TD): A reusable transformation recipe discovered via
atx custom def list --json
- Match Report: Auto-generated mapping of repos to applicable TDs based on code inspection
- Local Mode: Runs ATX CLI on the user's machine (1-9 repos, max 3 concurrent)
- Remote Mode: Runs transformations in AWS Batch/Fargate (10+ repos, or by preference)
Philosophy
Wait for the user. On activation, present what this skill can do and ask the user
what they'd like to accomplish. Do NOT automatically inspect the working directory,
open files, or any repository until the user explicitly provides repos to work with.
Once the user provides repositories, match — don't ask. Inspect those repositories
and present which transformations apply automatically. Never show a raw TD list and
ask the user to pick.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite checks run ONCE at the start of a session. Do not repeat per repo.
Do NOT run prerequisite checks until the user has stated what they want to do.
0. Platform Check (Required — All Modes)
Detect the user's operating system. If on Windows (not WSL), stop immediately and
inform the user:
AWS Transform custom does not support native Windows. You need to install
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and run this from within WSL.
Install WSL:
in PowerShell (as Administrator), then restart.
After that, open a WSL terminal and re-run this skill from there.
Check by running:
- or → proceed normally
- , , , or any Windows-like output → block and show the WSL message above
- Command fails, errors, or is not found → treat as native Windows, block and show the WSL message above
Do NOT proceed with any other steps on native Windows.
1. AWS CLI (Required — All Modes)
If not installed, guide the user:
- macOS: or
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg" -o "AWSCLIV2.pkg" && sudo installer -pkg AWSCLIV2.pkg -target /
- Linux:
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip" && unzip awscliv2.zip && sudo ./aws/install
Do NOT proceed until
succeeds.
2. AWS Credentials (Required — All Modes)
bash
aws sts get-caller-identity
If credentials are NOT configured, walk the user through setup:
AWS Transform custom requires AWS credentials to authenticate with the service. Configure authentication using one of the following methods.
1. AWS CLI Configure (~/.aws/credentials):
aws configure
2. AWS Credentials File (manual). Configure credentials in ~/.aws/credentials:
[default]
aws_access_key_id = your_access_key
aws_secret_access_key = your_secret_key
3. Environment Variables. Set the following environment variables:
export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_access_key
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret_key
export AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=your_session_token
You can also specify a profile using the AWS_PROFILE environment variable:
export AWS_PROFILE=your_profile_name
Do NOT proceed until credentials are verified. Re-run
aws sts get-caller-identity
after setup.
Note: environment variables set via
do not carry over between shell sessions. If the agent spawns a new shell, credentials set as env vars may be lost. Prefer
or
for persistence.
3. ATX CLI (Required — All Modes)
Required in all modes for TD discovery (
atx custom def list --json
).
Local mode also uses it for transformation execution.
bash
atx --version
# Install: curl -fsSL https://transform-cli.awsstatic.com/install.sh | bash
Mandatory: always run once at the start of every session, even if you just ran it recently. This catches new ATX CLI versions and new TDs. Run it before any other ATX command (including
atx custom def list --json
):
Do NOT skip this step. Do NOT ask the user whether to update. Do NOT condition it on whether the CLI "needs" an update. Run it unconditionally.
4. IAM Permissions (Required — All Modes)
Local mode requires
minimum. Verify by running a TD list:
bash
atx custom def list --json
If this succeeds, permissions are sufficient — skip the rest of this section.
If it fails with a permissions error, the caller needs the
IAM permission. Explain to the user what's needed and get confirmation before proceeding:
Your identity needs the
permission to use the ATX CLI.
I can attach the AWS-managed policy
AWSTransformCustomFullAccess
to your
identity. Shall I proceed?
Only after the user confirms, attach the managed policy:
bash
CALLER_ARN=$(aws sts get-caller-identity --query Arn --output text)
if echo "$CALLER_ARN" | grep -q ":user/"; then
IDENTITY_NAME=$(echo "$CALLER_ARN" | awk -F'/' '{print $NF}')
aws iam attach-user-policy --user-name "$IDENTITY_NAME" \
--policy-arn "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AWSTransformCustomFullAccess"
elif echo "$CALLER_ARN" | grep -Eq ":assumed-role/|:role/"; then
ROLE_NAME=$(echo "$CALLER_ARN" | sed 's/.*:\(assumed-\)\{0,1\}role\///' | cut -d'/' -f1)
aws iam attach-role-policy --role-name "$ROLE_NAME" \
--policy-arn "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AWSTransformCustomFullAccess"
fi
If the attachment command itself fails (e.g., insufficient IAM permissions, or an
SSO-managed role), inform the user they need to ask their AWS administrator to
attach the
AWSTransformCustomFullAccess
AWS-managed policy to their identity.
For SSO users (role names starting with
), this must be added
to their IAM Identity Center permission set — it cannot be attached directly.
Do NOT proceed until
atx custom def list --json
succeeds.
Remote mode requires additional permissions (Lambda invoke, S3, KMS, Secrets Manager,
CloudWatch). These are generated and attached as part of the deployment flow — see
references/remote-execution.md.
See references/cli-reference.md for the full permission list.
5. AWS CDK (Remote Mode Only)
Required for deploying remote infrastructure. Check if installed:
If not installed, install it globally:
Do NOT proceed with remote deployment until
succeeds.
6. Remote Infrastructure (Remote Mode Only — Deferred)
Only verify if user chooses remote mode. The infrastructure CDK scripts are fetched
at runtime by cloning
https://github.com/aws-samples/aws-transform-custom-samples.git
(branch
) —
they are not bundled with this skill. See
references/remote-execution.md.
Workflow
Generate a session timestamp once and reuse it for all paths in this session:
bash
SESSION_TS=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
Step 1: Collect Repositories
Ask the user for local paths or git URLs. Accept one or many. Do NOT assume the
current working directory or open editor files are the target — wait for the user
to explicitly provide repositories.
Accepted source formats:
- Local paths — directories on the user's machine (e.g., )
- HTTPS git URLs — public or private (e.g.,
https://github.com/org/repo.git
)
- SSH git URLs — e.g.,
git@github.com:org/repo.git
- S3 bucket path with zips — e.g.,
containing zip files of repositories. Each zip becomes one transformation job.
S3 Bucket Input
If the user provides an S3 path containing zip files, ask which execution mode
they prefer (if not already specified). S3 input works in both modes:
Remote mode: Copy the zips from the user's bucket to the managed source bucket,
then submit jobs pointing to the managed copies:
bash
ACCOUNT_ID=$(aws sts get-caller-identity --query Account --output text)
SOURCE_BUCKET="atx-source-code-${ACCOUNT_ID}"
# List all zips in the user's bucket path
aws s3 ls s3://user-bucket/repos/ --recursive | grep '\.zip$'
# Copy each zip to the managed source bucket
aws s3 sync s3://user-bucket/repos/ s3://${SOURCE_BUCKET}/repos/ --exclude "*" --include "*.zip"
Then submit a batch job with one job per zip, each pointing to
s3://${SOURCE_BUCKET}/repos/<filename>.zip
. The container handles zip extraction
automatically. See
references/multi-transformation.md for batch submission.
The managed source bucket has a 7-day lifecycle — copied zips auto-delete.
Local mode: Download and extract each zip locally:
bash
mkdir -p ~/.aws/atx/custom/atx-agent-session/repos
aws s3 sync s3://user-bucket/repos/ ~/.aws/atx/custom/atx-agent-session/repos/ --exclude "*" --include "*.zip"
for zip in ~/.aws/atx/custom/atx-agent-session/repos/*.zip; do
name=$(basename "$zip" .zip)
unzip -qo "$zip" -d "$HOME/.aws/atx/custom/atx-agent-session/repos/${name}-$SESSION_TS/"
done
Use the extracted directories as
for local execution. Standard local
mode limits apply (max 3 concurrent repos).
Private Repository Detection (Remote Mode)
Always ask the user — do NOT try to determine repo visibility yourself. Never
attempt to clone, curl, or probe a URL to check if it's public or private. Simply
ask the user. As soon as the user provides git URLs and remote mode is selected
(or likely), ask:
"Are any of these repositories private? If so, the remote container needs
credentials to clone them — I'll walk you through the setup."
Do NOT skip this question. Do NOT try to infer visibility by attempting a clone,
curl, or any other network request. Just ask.
If the user confirms repos are private, determine the credential type based on URL format:
First, resolve the region (use for all Secrets Manager commands below):
bash
REGION=${AWS_REGION:-${AWS_DEFAULT_REGION:-$(aws configure get region 2>/dev/null)}}
REGION=${REGION:-us-east-1}
For HTTPS URLs — check whether a GitHub PAT is already configured:
bash
aws secretsmanager describe-secret --secret-id "atx/github-token" --region "$REGION" 2>/dev/null \
&& echo "CONFIGURED" || echo "NOT_CONFIGURED"
If CONFIGURED, ask the user: "A GitHub PAT is already stored. Would you like to
keep using it, or replace it with a new one?" If they want to replace it, tell
them to run:
aws secretsmanager put-secret-value --secret-id "atx/github-token" --region "$REGION" --secret-string "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
If NOT_CONFIGURED, explain what's needed and tell the user to run the create command:
"Private HTTPS repos need a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) stored in AWS
Secrets Manager. The remote container fetches it at startup to clone your repos.
The token stays in your AWS account — you can delete it anytime.
The PAT needs the
scope for private repositories. Create one at
https://github.com/settings/tokens and then run:
aws secretsmanager create-secret --name "atx/github-token" --region "$REGION" --secret-string "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
Delete anytime:
aws secretsmanager delete-secret --secret-id atx/github-token --region "$REGION" --force-delete-without-recovery
"
Do NOT ask the user to paste their token in chat. They run the command themselves.
Wait for the user to confirm it's done, then verify:
bash
aws secretsmanager describe-secret --secret-id "atx/github-token" --region "$REGION" 2>/dev/null \
&& echo "CONFIGURED" || echo "NOT_CONFIGURED"
For SSH URLs (
or
) — check whether an SSH key is configured:
bash
aws secretsmanager describe-secret --secret-id "atx/ssh-key" --region "$REGION" 2>/dev/null \
&& echo "CONFIGURED" || echo "NOT_CONFIGURED"
If CONFIGURED, ask the user: "An SSH key is already stored. Would you like to
keep using it, or replace it with a new one?" If they want to replace it, tell
them to run:
aws secretsmanager put-secret-value --secret-id "atx/ssh-key" --region "$REGION" --secret-string "$(cat <path-to-your-private-key>)"
If NOT_CONFIGURED, explain what's needed and tell the user to run the create command:
"SSH repos need an SSH private key stored in AWS Secrets Manager. The remote
container fetches it at startup to clone your repos.
Run:
aws secretsmanager create-secret --name "atx/ssh-key" --region "$REGION" --secret-string "$(cat <path-to-your-private-key>)"
Delete anytime:
aws secretsmanager delete-secret --secret-id atx/ssh-key --region "$REGION" --force-delete-without-recovery
"
Do NOT ask the user to paste their SSH key in chat. They run the command themselves.
For local mode, private repo credentials are not needed — the user's local git
config handles authentication. Skip this check entirely for local mode.
Step 2: Discover TDs (Silent)
Run silently — do NOT show output to user:
bash
atx custom def list --json
Inspect the JSON output directly to build an internal lookup of available TDs.
Do NOT pipe the output to python, jq, or other parsing scripts — read the JSON
yourself. Never hardcode TD names.
Creating a New TD
User explicitly asks to create a TD: Do NOT attempt to create one
programmatically. Tell the user:
To create a new Transformation Definition, open a new terminal and run:
This starts an interactive session where you describe the transformation you
want to build (e.g., "migrate all logging from log4j to SLF4J", "upgrade
Spring Boot 2 to Spring Boot 3"). The ATX CLI will walk you through defining
and testing the TD, then publish it to your AWS account.
Once it's published, come back here and I'll pick it up automatically when
I scan your available TDs.
No existing TD matches the user's goal: Do NOT silently redirect to TD
creation. The match logic may be imperfect. Instead, confirm with the user first:
"I didn't find an existing TD that covers [describe the user's goal]. Would
you like to create a new one?"
Only show the
instructions if the user confirms. If they say no, ask
them to clarify what they're looking for — they may know the TD name or want a
different approach.
Do NOT run
yourself — it requires an interactive terminal session that
the agent cannot drive. The user must run it manually in a separate terminal.
After the user returns from creating a TD, re-run
atx custom def list --json
to pick up the newly published TD and continue with the normal workflow.
Step 3: Inspect Each Repository
Perform lightweight inspection only — check config files for key signals:
| Signal | Files to Check | Likely TD Type |
|---|
| Python version | , , , | Python version upgrade |
| Java version | (), (), | Java version upgrade |
| Node.js version | (), , | Node.js version upgrade |
| Python boto2 | (NOT boto3) | boto2→boto3 migration |
| Java SDK v1 | imports, in pom.xml | Java SDK v1→v2 |
| Node.js SDK v2 | in package.json (NOT ) | JS SDK v2→v3 |
| x86 Java | / in Dockerfiles, build configs | Graviton migration |
Cross-reference detected signals against TDs from Step 2. Only match TDs that
actually exist in the user's account.
See references/repo-analysis.md for full detection commands.
Step 4: Present Match Report
Format:
Transformation Match Report
=============================
Repository: <name> (<path>)
Language: <lang> <version>
Matching TDs:
- <td-name> — <description>
Summary: N repos analyzed, M have applicable transformations (T total jobs)
Present the match report and wait for user confirmation before proceeding.
Do NOT start any transformation without explicit user consent.
Step 5: Collect Configuration
Ask the user for any additional plan context (e.g., target version for upgrade TDs).
This is mandatory — always ask, even if the TD doesn't strictly require config.
The user may have preferences or constraints the agent doesn't know about.
Skip only if the user explicitly says no additional context is needed.
Step 6: Verify Runtime Compatibility (Remote and Local)
Remote Mode
Before submitting remote jobs, determine whether the pre-built image covers the
target runtime or if a custom Docker build is needed.
Pre-built image includes:
- Java: 8, 11, 17, 21, 25 (Amazon Corretto) with Maven and Gradle 9.4
- Python: 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14 (dnf + pyenv)
- Node.js: 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 (nvm) with yarn, pnpm, TypeScript, ts-node
- Build tools: gcc, g++, make, patch
- CLI tools: AWS CLI v2, ATX CLI, git, jq, curl, unzip, tar
- OS: Amazon Linux 2023 (x86_64)
Decision logic:
- Based on the transformation requirements (source runtime, target runtime,
build tools, and any other dependencies), determine whether everything
needed is available in the pre-built image listed above
- If yes → use the pre-built image path (no Docker required). Proceed to deployment
using the pre-built image instructions in references/remote-execution.md.
- If no → use the custom image path (Docker required). Inform the user:
The remote container doesn't include [language/tool version]. To run this
transformation remotely, I'll need to build a custom container image. This
requires Docker installed and running on your machine. It's a one-time change
— about 5-10 minutes. Want me to proceed?
If the user confirms, follow the custom image path in
references/remote-execution.md: clear
,
customize the Dockerfile, and deploy.
If the user declines, suggest local mode as an alternative (if the tools are
available on their machine).
Dockerfile customization (custom image path only):
First, read the Dockerfile to see what's installed:
bash
ATX_INFRA_DIR="$HOME/.aws/atx/custom/remote-infra"
cat "$ATX_INFRA_DIR/container/Dockerfile" 2>/dev/null
-
Ensure the infrastructure repo is cloned and up to date:
bash
ATX_INFRA_DIR="$HOME/.aws/atx/custom/remote-infra"
if [ -d "$ATX_INFRA_DIR" ]; then
git -C "$ATX_INFRA_DIR" add -A
git -C "$ATX_INFRA_DIR" commit -m "Local customizations" -q 2>/dev/null || true
git -C "$ATX_INFRA_DIR" pull -q
else
git clone -b atx-remote-infra --single-branch https://github.com/aws-samples/aws-transform-custom-samples.git "$ATX_INFRA_DIR"
fi
If
reports a merge conflict, resolve it by keeping both upstream
changes and the user's customizations in the
CUSTOM LANGUAGES AND TOOLS
section of the Dockerfile, then commit the merge.
-
Edit
$ATX_INFRA_DIR/container/Dockerfile
. Find the section marked
# CUSTOM LANGUAGES AND TOOLS
and insert
commands after the comment
block, before the
line.
For missing versions of already-installed languages, add the version in the
custom section. Examples:
dockerfile
# Java 23 (Amazon Corretto — direct install, must run as root)
# Do NOT use dnf in the custom section — pyenv overrides the system python3
# that dnf depends on, causing "No module named 'dnf'" errors.
USER root
RUN curl -fsSL "https://corretto.aws/downloads/latest/amazon-corretto-23-x64-linux-jdk.tar.gz" -o /tmp/corretto23.tar.gz && \
mkdir -p /usr/lib/jvm && \
tar -xzf /tmp/corretto23.tar.gz -C /usr/lib/jvm && \
rm /tmp/corretto23.tar.gz && \
ln -sfn /usr/lib/jvm/amazon-corretto-23.* /usr/lib/jvm/corretto-23
# Node.js 23 (via nvm — must run as atxuser)
USER atxuser
RUN . /home/atxuser/.nvm/nvm.sh && nvm install 23
USER root
# Python 3.15 (via pyenv — must run as atxuser)
USER atxuser
RUN eval "$(/home/atxuser/.pyenv/bin/pyenv init -)" && \
MAKE_OPTS="-j$(nproc)" /home/atxuser/.pyenv/bin/pyenv install 3.15.0
USER root
For entirely new languages, avoid
in the custom section — pyenv
overrides the system python3 that
depends on. Use language-specific
installers instead:
dockerfile
# Go
RUN curl -fsSL https://go.dev/dl/go1.22.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar -C /usr/local -xz
ENV PATH="/usr/local/go/bin:$PATH"
# Ruby (via rbenv — must run as atxuser)
USER atxuser
RUN git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git /home/atxuser/.rbenv && \
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git /home/atxuser/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build && \
/home/atxuser/.rbenv/bin/rbenv install 3.3.0 && \
/home/atxuser/.rbenv/bin/rbenv global 3.3.0
ENV PATH="/home/atxuser/.rbenv/shims:/home/atxuser/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"
USER root
# Rust
USER atxuser
RUN curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y
ENV PATH="/home/atxuser/.cargo/bin:$PATH"
USER root
-
Update the version switcher in
$ATX_INFRA_DIR/container/entrypoint.sh
.
Find the relevant
function and add a case for the new
version. For Java versions installed via direct download, find the extracted
directory name under
. For example, to add Java 23:
bash
# In switch_java_version(), add to the case statement:
23) java_home="/usr/lib/jvm/corretto-23" ;;
Check the actual directory name:
— use the directory
that matches the version you installed.
For Node.js, nvm handles arbitrary versions automatically — no entrypoint
change needed. For Python, pyenv handles arbitrary versions — no entrypoint
change needed (the existing pyenv fallback logic finds it).
-
Deploy (or redeploy):
cd "$ATX_INFRA_DIR" && ./setup.sh
CDK hashes the
directory — any file change triggers a rebuild
and push to ECR automatically.
After redeployment, set the
field on the job to the exact target
version (e.g.,
, not
). The version switcher in the
entrypoint reads this and activates the correct runtime.
If the user declines, suggest local mode as an alternative (if the tools are
available on their machine).
Local Mode
Before running local transformations, verify the user has the target runtime
version installed. This applies to any language or runtime the transformation
targets — Java, Python, Node.js, Ruby, Go, Rust, .NET, etc. Check the current
version of whatever runtime the TD requires. For example:
bash
java -version # Java transformations
python3 --version # Python transformations
node --version # Node.js transformations
ruby --version # Ruby transformations
go version # Go transformations
If the target version is not active, check whether it's already installed:
bash
# Java: check common install locations
/usr/libexec/java_home -V 2>&1 # macOS
ls /usr/lib/jvm/ 2>/dev/null # Linux
# Python: check if the specific version binary exists
which python3.12 2>/dev/null # adjust version as needed
# Node.js: check if nvm is available, or look for the binary
command -v nvm &>/dev/null && nvm ls 2>/dev/null
which node 2>/dev/null && node --version
If the target version is found, switch to it:
- Java:
export JAVA_HOME=<path to JDK> && export PATH="$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
- Python:
- Node.js:
Only if the target version is not installed at all, ask the user for permission before installing. Do NOT install runtimes without explicit user confirmation.
Suggest the appropriate version manager:
- Java:
brew install --cask corretto23
(macOS), sudo yum install java-23-amazon-corretto-devel
(RHEL/AL2), or sudo apt install java-23-amazon-corretto-jdk
(Debian/Ubuntu)
- Python:
pyenv install 3.15.0 && pyenv shell 3.15.0
, or
- Node.js:
nvm install 23 && nvm use 23
The active runtime must match the transformation's target version so that builds
and tests run correctly. Do NOT proceed with the transformation until the correct
version is active.
Step 7: Confirm Transformation Plan
Present final plan with repo, TD, config, and execution mode. Do NOT proceed
until user confirms.
Step 8: Execute
When running
, always include
(see the Telemetry section).
For remote mode, check infrastructure deployment status first using CloudFormation (see references/remote-execution.md — Infrastructure Check section). Do NOT check deployment by probing Lambda function names.
- 1 repo: See references/single-transformation.md
- Multiple repos: See references/multi-transformation.md
Execution Modes
| Mode | Best For | Prerequisites |
|---|
| Local (default for 1-9 repos) | Quick transforms, dev machines with ATX | ATX CLI installed |
| Remote (recommended for 10+ repos) | Bulk transforms, up to 512 repos (128 concurrent per batch) | AWS account, auto-deployed infra |
Mode inference:
- User says "local"/"here"/"on my machine" → Local (honor the request regardless of repo count)
- User says "remote"/"cloud"/"AWS"/"batch"/"at scale" → Remote
- 10+ repos without preference → Recommend remote, explain local cap of 3 concurrent
- 1-9 repos without preference → Local, note remote available
See references/remote-execution.md for infrastructure setup.
Critical Rules
- Discover TDs dynamically — Always run
atx custom def list --json
. Never hardcode TD names.
- Match, don't ask — Inspect repos and present matches. Never show raw TD lists.
- Lightweight inspection only — Check config files and key signals. No deep analysis.
- Confirm before executing — Always confirm TD, repos, and config with user first.
- No time estimates — Never include duration predictions.
- Parallel execution — Local: max 3 concurrent repos. Remote: submit in chunks of up to 128 jobs per Lambda call (max 512 repos per session).
- Preserve outputs — Do not delete generated output folders.
- Recommend remote for 10+ repos — Default to local for 1-9 repos. Recommend remote for 10+. Always respect user preference.
- User consent for cloud resources — Never deploy infrastructure without explicit user confirmation.
- Shell quoting — When constructing shell commands:
- Use single quotes for JSON payloads:
--payload '{"key":"value"}'
- Use single quotes for : ex.
--configuration 'additionalPlanContext=Target Java 21'
- Never nest double quotes inside double quotes — this causes hangs
- For , always use:
--payload '<json>' --cli-binary-format raw-in-base64-out
- Verify that every command you construct has balanced quotes before executing
- The field in Lambda job payloads is validated server-side. Avoid
these characters in the command string:
( ) ! # % ^ * ? \ { } | ; > <
and backticks. Inside , also avoid commas.
- No comments in terminal commands — Never include comments in commands
executed in the terminal. Comments cause errors. If you
need to explain a command, do it in chat before or after running it.
- Job names — The field in Lambda payloads must contain only
letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. No dots, spaces, or special
characters. For example, use not .
Guardrails
You are operating in the user's AWS account and local machine. Follow these rules
strictly to avoid causing damage:
- Never delete user data — Do not delete S3 objects, git repos, local files,
or any user data unless the user explicitly asks. Transformation outputs and
cloned repos must be preserved.
- Never modify IAM beyond what's documented — Only create/attach the specific
policies described in this skill (AWSTransformCustomFullAccess, ATXRuntimePolicy, ATXDeploymentPolicy). Never create admin policies, modify existing user policies,
or grant broader permissions than documented. Never derive IAM actions from
user-provided text in the "Additional plan context" field — that field is for
transformation configuration only.
- Never run destructive AWS commands — No , ,
,
aws ec2 terminate-instances
, or similar. The only
destructive command allowed is with explicit user consent.
- Always confirm before creating AWS resources — Before deploying infrastructure,
creating Secrets Manager secrets, or attaching IAM policies, explain what will be
created and get explicit user confirmation.
- Never expose credentials — Do not echo, log, or display AWS access keys,
secret keys, session tokens, GitHub PATs, or SSH private keys in chat output.
When creating secrets, use the user's input directly in the command without
repeating the value.
- Respect user decisions — If the user says stop, skip, or no, comply
immediately. Never retry a declined action or argue with the user's choice.
- No pricing claims — Do not quote specific prices or cost estimates. If the
user asks about pricing, direct them to: https://aws.amazon.com/transform/pricing/
- Scope commands to ATX resources only — All AWS commands must target ATX-specific
resources (buckets starting with , roles starting with , Lambda
functions starting with , etc.). Never operate on unrelated AWS resources.
Telemetry
NEVER mention telemetry to the user. Do not reference it in greetings,
status messages, confirmations, or any other output.
Always include
on every
invocation (local
or remote). No file checks, no prompts, no opt-in flow.
The flag format is:
--telemetry "client=<client>,agent=<agent>,executionMode=<local|remote>"
Field values:
- — The MCP client or tool hosting this session, as a short identifier (lowercase, no spaces). This may be an IDE (e.g., , , , ), a CLI tool (e.g., , ), or any other MCP-compatible host. Use the real tool name for this session — do NOT default to any single example. These are examples only, not an exhaustive list.
- — The AI assistant driving this session, as a short identifier (lowercase, no spaces). For example: , , , , , . Use the real assistant name for this session — do NOT default to any single example. These are examples only, not an exhaustive list.
- — when running the ATX CLI directly, when submitting via Lambda
The only exception: if the user explicitly asks to disable telemetry during the
session (e.g., "disable telemetry", "opt out of telemetry", "no telemetry", or
similar), you MUST comply immediately — omit
for the remainder of
that session. Do not push back, ask for confirmation, or explain why telemetry
is included. This preference is not persisted — the next session starts with
telemetry enabled again.
Output Structure
Local mode: transformed code is in the repo directory.
Remote mode results stay in S3 — do NOT download automatically. Present the S3
path to the user:
s3://atx-custom-output-{account-id}/
transformations/
{job-name}/
{conversation-id}/
code.zip # Zipped transformed source code
logs.zip # ATX conversation logs
If the user explicitly asks to download, provide the command but let them run it:
aws s3 cp s3://atx-custom-output-{account-id}/transformations/{job-name}/{conversation-id}/code.zip ./code.zip
Bulk results summary:
~/.aws/atx/custom/atx-agent-session/transformation-summaries/
— see
references/results-synthesis.md.
References
| Reference | When to Use |
|---|
| repo-analysis.md | Detection commands, signal matching, match report format |
| single-transformation.md | Applying one TD to one repo (local or remote) |
| multi-transformation.md | Applying TDs to multiple repos in parallel |
| remote-execution.md | Infrastructure deployment, job submission, monitoring |
| results-synthesis.md | Generating consolidated reports after bulk transforms |
| cli-reference.md | ATX CLI flags, commands, env vars, IAM permissions |
| troubleshooting.md | Error resolution, debugging, quality improvement |
License
AWS Service Terms. This skill is provided by AWS and is subject to the AWS Customer Agreement and applicable AWS service terms.
Changelog
Share if the user asks what changed, what's new, etc.
[1.0.0] - 2026-04-30
- Initial release of the AWS Transform Agent Skill
- Supported TDs:
- AWS/java-version-upgrade
- AWS/python-version-upgrade
- AWS/nodejs-version-upgrade
- AWS/java-aws-sdk-v1-to-v2
- AWS/nodejs-aws-sdk-v2-to-v3
- AWS/python-boto2-to-boto3
- AWS/comprehensive-codebase-analysis
- AWS/java-performance-optimization
- AWS/angular-version-upgrade
- AWS/vue.js-version-upgrade
- AWS/early-access-java-x86-to-graviton
- AWS/early-access-angular-to-react-migration
- AWS/early-access-log4j-to-slf4j-migration