Working with Embedded Local Terminal

On this page:

Prerequisites
Overview
Configuring embedded local terminal
Running embedded local terminal
Actions available in the embedded local terminal

Prerequisites

Before you start working with terminal, make sure that the Terminal plugin is enabled. The plugin is bundled with IntelliJ IDEA and is activated by default. If it is not, enable the plugin as described in Enabling and Disabling Plugins.

Overview

IntelliJ IDEA features a local terminal that makes it possible to access the command line. Depending on your platform, you can work with command line prompt, Far, powershell, bash, etc. Using the terminal, you can execute any command without leaving the IDE.

Configuring embedded local terminal

The terminal settings are configurable on several pages of the Settings/Preferences dialog.

To configure the embedded local terminal options

In the Settings/Preferences dialog box, open the Terminal page, and specify the following:
- The desired shell that will run by default, the name of a session tab
- Name of the tab a new session will be opened in, possibility to copy to clipboard etc.
- Ability to override the IntelliJ IDEA keymap.
The following settings are inherited by the embedded local terminal from the IDE settings/preferences:
- On the Keymap page, you can configure the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V shortcuts.
- On the editor's Appearance page - anti-aliasing and caret blinking.
  Note that the setting Use block caret is not inherited in the terminal - its caret is always block.
- Under the editor's Color and Fonts settings, you can change the following options:
  - On the Console Fonts page - line spacing, and console fonts.
  - On the Console Colors page - console colors.
  - On the General page - selection foreground and background colors.

Running embedded local terminal

To run the console, do one of the following

Press Alt+F12.
Click the Terminal tool window button .
Hover your mouse pointer over in the lower left corner of the IDE, then choose Terminal from the menu, as described in the section Tool window quick access.

Actions available in the embedded local terminal

In the embedded local terminal, you can do the following:

To create a new session:
- Click on the toolbar of the terminal.
- Right-click a session tab, and then choose Create new session on the context menu.
A new session is presented in a separate tab:
Rename a tab. Right-click a tab, and choose Rename tab on the context menu.
Close an active session that currently has the focus. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Click on the terminal toolbar.
- Right-click a session tab, and then choose Close session on the context menu.
Use up and down arrows on your keyboard to browse through the history of entered commands.
Toggle between the embedded local terminal and editor by pressing Alt+F12 (View | Tool Windows | Terminal).