CLion 2024.1 Help

Remote with the thin client

Remote development lets you use the IDE interface on a thin client while having a powerful remote host to check out and load your project, index, analyze, build, run, debug, and test your code.

The remote host is a physical (Linux) or virtual machine hosting the source code and running a headless CLion instance. The thin client, for example, a laptop, connects to the host and transparently provides full access to all IDE features.

Connect to a project running on WSL2

You can configure your IDE backend to launch directly in WSL2.

Before you start connecting to WSL, make sure the following prerequisites are met:

  • You have the Windows 10 or 11 version installed on your machine with the Ubuntu 20.04 version installed under WSL2.

  • You have WSL2 configured on your Windows machine. For more information, refer to the WSL2 configuration section.

  • You have at least 200 GB of available space, 8 GB RAM, and 4 CPUs.

Connect to WSL

  1. Ensure you have the Remote Development Gateway plugin enabled.

  2. On the CLion welcome screen, select Remote Development.

  3. Under Remote Development, select WSL.

  4. From the options on the right, click New Connection.

    New Connection
  5. On the next page, select the WSL instance and click Next.

    Choose WSL instance
  6. On the next page, select the IDE version and the project you want open. Click Start IDE and Connect.

    Choose the IDE version and a project

    The connection is established, the backend IDE is downloaded, and the project is opened in JetBrains Client.

JetBrains Gateway is used as an entry point to connect to a remote server via SSH. It launches JetBrains Client, which is a thin client that enables you to work with your remote project.

You can use one of the following ways to launch JetBrains Gateway:

Last modified: 16 April 2024