Command-line interface

The installation directory contains batch scripts and executables for launching IntelliJ IDEA, formatting the source code, and running inspections. To use them from the Command Prompt cmd.exe, add the location of the IntelliJ IDEA bin folder to the PATH environment variable. For example, if you installed IntelliJ IDEA to C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA, you can use the following command:

>
set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA\bin

This command changes the PATH environment variable for the current shell only (the current instance of cmd.exe). If you want to update it permanently for the current user, run setx:

>
setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA\bin"

To update it system-wide for all users, run setx /M instead of setx.

tip

The installer can do this for you if you select Add launchers dir to the PATH on the Installation Options step of the setup wizard.

After you configure the PATH variable, you can run the executable from any working directory in the Command Prompt: idea64.exe. Alternatively, you can use the batch script: idea.bat.

To run IntelliJ IDEA from the shell, use the open command with the following options:

• -a: specify the application.

• --args: specify additional arguments when passing more than just the file or directory to open.

• -n: open a new instance of the application even if one is already running.

For example, you can run IntelliJ IDEA.app with the following command:

$
open -na "IntelliJ IDEA.app"

note

If IntelliJ IDEA is not in the default /Applications directory, specify the full path to it.

You can create a shell script with this command in a directory from your PATH environment variable. For example, create the file /usr/local/bin/idea with the following contents:

#!/bin/sh

open -na "IntelliJ IDEA.app" --args "$@"

Make sure you have permissions to execute the script and since /usr/local/bin should be in the PATH environment variable by default, you should be able to run idea from anywhere in the shell.

On Linux, the installation directory contains the launcher shell script idea.sh under bin. For example, if you installed IntelliJ IDEA to /opt/idea, you can run the script using the following command:

$
/opt/idea/bin/idea.sh

You can create a symbolic link to the launcher script in a directory from the PATH environment variable. For example, if you installed IntelliJ IDEA to /opt/idea and want to create a link named idea in /usr/local/bin, run the following command:

$
ln -s /opt/idea/bin/idea.sh /usr/local/bin/idea

Since /usr/local/bin should be in the PATH environment variable by default, you should be able to run the idea command from anywhere in the shell.

If you installed IntelliJ IDEA as a snap package, you can use the corresponding launcher: intellij-idea-ultimate, intellij-idea-community, or intellij-idea-educational.