LocalStack Core is the foundational Python library and runtime for LocalStack, a robust cloud service emulator that allows developers to run AWS applications and Lambdas entirely on their local machine or in CI environments without connecting to a remote cloud provider. The library underpins the LocalStack CLI and Docker container, providing the core emulation capabilities. As of the 2026.03.0 release, LocalStack has adopted calendar versioning (YYYY.MM.patch) and follows a monthly release cadence.
pip install localstack-coreVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to define a simple LocalStack extension using the `localstack-core` library's extension API. LocalStack extensions are Python classes that implement specific lifecycle hooks. For general interaction with LocalStack-emulated AWS services from Python, `boto3` is used and configured to point to LocalStack's local endpoints, typically at `http://localhost:4566`. Ensure Docker is running and LocalStack is started (e.g., via `localstack start`) before attempting to interact with emulated AWS services.
Be aware of the new versioning scheme for updates and compatibility. YYYY.MM represents the year and month of the release.
Obtain a LocalStack auth token from your account and set it as the `LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN` environment variable before starting LocalStack.
Update your Docker image references to `localstack/localstack` and ensure `LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN` is configured to access appropriate service entitlements.
Delete existing `.volume` folders or state files and re-create your LocalStack infrastructure and data. LocalStack will display an explicit message if incompatible state is detected.
Implement robust integration tests that run against LocalStack and consider targeted testing in a real (non-production) AWS environment for critical or complex interactions. Be mindful of IAM policy strictness and network characteristics when developing.
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