# Start/pause/stop debug session

Procedure: Before debugging

1. [Set breakpoints](using-breakpoints.html#set-line-breakpoint) in the source code.

2. If necessary, create or modify the corresponding [Run/Debug configuration](run-debug-configuration.html).

The debug session starts with the selected run/debug configuration. Note that several debug processes can be launched simultaneously.

Procedure: Start a debug session

1. Select the run/debug configuration to execute, and then do one of the following:

* Click ![the Run icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.toolwindows.toolWindowRun.svg) icon in the left gutter, and then choose ![](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.startDebugger.svg).

* Click ![the Run button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.startDebugger.svg) on the toolbar.

* Select `Run | Debug 'selected configuration'` from the main menu.

* Press `Shift+F9` (Windows), `⌃ D` (macOS), `⇧ F9` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌥ ⇧ D` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+F9` (XWin), `Shift+F9` (GNOME), `Shift+F9` (KDE), `Shift+F9` (Emacs), `Shift+F9` (Sublime Text), `⌃ D` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ R` (Xcode), `Alt+F5` (Visual Studio), `⌥ F5` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Alt+F5` (ReSharper), `⌥ F5` (ReSharper (macOS)), `F5` (QtCreator), `⌘ Y` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+F5` (NetBeans), `Alt+Shift+D` (Eclipse), `⌘ F11` (Eclipse (macOS)).

2. Invoke the Run Anything dialog by pressing `Ctrl` (Windows), `Ctrl` (macOS), `Ctrl` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `Ctrl` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl` (XWin), `Ctrl` (GNOME), `Ctrl` (KDE), `Ctrl` (Emacs), `Ctrl` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl` (Xcode), `Ctrl` (Visual Studio), `Ctrl` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl` (ReSharper), `Ctrl` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl` (QtCreator), `Ctrl` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl` (NetBeans), `Ctrl` (Eclipse), `Ctrl` (Eclipse (macOS)) (or search for Run anything in `Help | Find Action` `Ctrl+Shift+A` (Windows), `⌘ ⇧ A` (macOS), `⌘ ⇧ A` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ P` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (XWin), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (KDE), `Escape, X` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Shift+P` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ⇧ P` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ A` (Xcode), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ⇧ A` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (ReSharper), `⌘ ⇧ A` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (QtCreator), `⌘ ⇧ A` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+I` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Shift+A` (Eclipse), `⌘ 3` (Eclipse (macOS))).

In the Run Anything dialog, start typing the configuration name, select it from the list, then hold down  `Shift` (Windows), `Shift` (macOS), `Shift` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `Shift` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift` (XWin), `Shift` (GNOME), `Shift` (KDE), `Shift` (Emacs), `Shift` (Sublime Text), `Shift` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Shift` (Xcode), `Shift` (Visual Studio), `Shift` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift` (ReSharper), `Shift` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Shift` (QtCreator), `Shift` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Shift` (NetBeans), `Shift` (Eclipse), `Shift` (Eclipse (macOS)) to switch to Debug mode, and press `Enter` (Windows), `⏎` (macOS), `⏎` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⏎` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Enter` (XWin), `Enter` (GNOME), `Enter` (KDE), `Enter` (Emacs), `Enter` (Sublime Text), `⏎` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⏎` (Xcode), `Enter` (Visual Studio), `⏎` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Enter` (ReSharper), `⏎` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Enter` (QtCreator), `⏎` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Enter` (NetBeans), `Enter` (Eclipse), `⏎` (Eclipse (macOS)) to debug the selected configuration:

![debug via Run Anything](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_run_anything_debug.png)

Note that after you've launched a debug session, the [Debug tool window](debug-tool-window.html) icon (![the Debug button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.startDebugger.svg)) toggles to ![the Active Debugger icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/debug_active.png) indicating that the debugging process is active.

> **Note:**
> As an alternative to using Run Anything, press `Alt+Shift+F9` (Windows), `⌃ ⌥ D` (macOS), `⌥ ⇧ F9` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ ⌥ D` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Alt+Shift+F9` (XWin), `Alt+Shift+F9` (GNOME), `Alt+Shift+F9` (KDE), `Alt+Shift+F9` (Emacs), `Alt+Shift+F9` (Sublime Text), `⌃ ⌥ D` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⌥ R` (Xcode), `Alt+Shift+F9` (Visual Studio), `⌃ ⌥ D` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+F9` (ReSharper), `⌃ ⌥ D` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+F9` (QtCreator), `⌃ ⌥ D` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+F9` (NetBeans), `Alt+Shift+F9` (Eclipse), `⌃ ⌥ D` (Eclipse (macOS)), select the configuration from the list, and press `Enter` (Windows), `⏎` (macOS), `⏎` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⏎` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Enter` (XWin), `Enter` (GNOME), `Enter` (KDE), `Enter` (Emacs), `Enter` (Sublime Text), `⏎` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⏎` (Xcode), `Enter` (Visual Studio), `⏎` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Enter` (ReSharper), `⏎` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Enter` (QtCreator), `⏎` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Enter` (NetBeans), `Enter` (Eclipse), `⏎` (Eclipse (macOS)).

Procedure: Pause a debug session

* In the main menu, go to `Run | Debugging Actions | Pause Program`.

* Click ![the Pause icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.pause.svg) on the Debug toolbar.

Procedure: Resume a debug session

* In the main menu, go to `Run | Debugging Actions | Resume Program`.

* Click ![the Resume icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.resume.svg) on the Debug toolbar.

* Press `F9` (Windows), `⌘ ⌥ R` (macOS), `F9` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ \` (macOS System Shortcuts), `F9` (XWin), `F9` (GNOME), `F9` (KDE), `F9` (Emacs), `F9` (Sublime Text), `F9` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⌃ Y` (Xcode), `F5` (Visual Studio), `F5` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `F5` (ReSharper), `F5` (ReSharper (macOS)), `F5` (QtCreator), `⌘ Y` (QtCreator (macOS)), `F5` (NetBeans), `F8` (Eclipse), `F8` (Eclipse (macOS)).

Procedure: Terminate a debug session

* Click the Stop button on the toolbar of the Debug tool window. Alternatively, press `Ctrl+F2` (Windows), `⌘ F2` (macOS), `⌘ F2` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ ⇧ .` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+F2` (XWin), `Ctrl+F2` (GNOME), `Ctrl+2` (KDE), `Ctrl+F2` (Emacs), `Ctrl+F2` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl+F2` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ .` (Xcode), `Shift+F5` (Visual Studio), `⇧ F5` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift+F5` (ReSharper), `⇧ F5` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Shift+F5` (QtCreator), `⌘ ⇧ Y` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Shift+F5` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+F2` (Eclipse), `⌘ F2` (Eclipse (macOS)) and select the process to terminate (if there are two or more of them).

## See also

### Reference

[Debug tool window](debug-tool-window.html)

### Concepts

[Run/Debug Configurations](run-debug-configuration.html) [Breakpoints](using-breakpoints.html)

### External Links

[Webinar Recording: CLion Ask Me Anything Session: Debugger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz5NQiji9YU5&t=244s) [CLion Debugging Beyond the Basics - Part 2 - Dynamic](https://blog.jetbrains.com/clion/2021/03/clion-debugging-beyond-the-basics-part-2-dynamic) [Video playlist: CLion Debugger](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ176FUIyIUawCufBKmmWkRq2t5sl1xsM)