Plugin channels and versions

The IDE Services plugin repository comes with a secure way to manage access to specific plugins by uploading them to custom channels. Channels control plugin distribution, making it convenient to upload and test your in-house plugins.

A single plugin from the private repository can be distributed through several channels simultaneously. These include the default Stable channel and custom channels tailored to different purposes within your organization.

When a plugin is available in several channels, The IDE determines plugin updates based on specific rules and principles.

Key principles

Latest updates from all available channels

The IDE checks for updates across all subscribed channels and updates to the latest plugin version available in the private plugin repository.

Channel subscription

When a plugin is installed from the private repository, a subscription is created. A subscription defines the channel from which the IDE will receive new plugin versions.

By default, all IDEs are subscribed to the Stable channel.
When you configure a plugin as auto-installed in a profile, the developer IDE automatically subscribes to the channel specified in the rule (in addition to Stable).
It's only possible to subscribe to Stable and one more custom channel simultaneously.

Manual plugin installation

When a developer manually installs a plugin from a custom channel, their IDE automatically subscribes to that channel.

If you later configure an auto-installation rule for the same plugin but with a different channel, the IDE will subscribe to that channel after receiving a new configuration. For more details, refer to Changing a channel in the auto-installation rule.

Changing a channel in the auto-installation rule

If you change a custom channel in the existing auto-installation rule, the IDE will subscribe to that channel and unsubscribe from the other. The subscription to Stable will remain unchanged. This behavior applies to both forced or non-forced installations.

Example. Changing a custom channel from Alpha to Beta:

Scenario	Result
The developer doesn't have the plugin installed	The IDE receives updates from `Beta`.
The developer already has the plugin installed from `Alpha`	The subscription to `Alpha` is removed. The IDE receives updates from `Beta`.
The developer manually installed the plugin from an additional channel `Gamma`	The subscription to `Gamma` is removed. The IDE receives updates from `Beta`.

Unsubscribing from a channel

Developers can manually unsubscribe from custom channels by switching to another channel in IDE settings or uninstalling the plugin. This is possible in the following cases:

The subscription was added manually, meaning that the developer previously installed the plugin manually.
The auto-installation rule for the plugin is non-forced, which allows developers to modify their subscriptions.
The channel was removed from a non-forced auto-installation rule, meaning it's no longer assigned by the IDE Services administrator.

Last modified: 21 February 2025