Initializing the Google Cloud SDK

To get started using the gcloud command-line tool, either install it locally or open the Cloud Shell. The first time you use gcloud, you'll need to configure it by running gcloud init. This command will run some basic diagnostics to ensure that gcloud is able to function correctly in its environment. If it is unable to access the Google Cloud APIs, you will be prompted to fix dependencies or configure a network proxy.

If everything looks good, you'll be asked to enter your Google Cloud project ID, authenticate your account, and authorize the Google Cloud SDK. You may also optionally configure gcloud for Compute Engine by selecting a default zone (the default geographic location where your compute resources will be created). If you have access to multiple accounts or projects, don't worry too much about which to choose—these configuration settings can be easily updated at any time, which we will cover shortly.