Install and set up IntelliJ IDEA

Installation requirements

Hardware requirements

1 GB RAM minimum, 2 GB RAM recommended
1.5 GB hard disk space + at least 1 GB for caches
1024x768 minimum screen resolution

Software requirements

JRE 1.8 is bundled with the IntelliJ IDEA distribution. You do not need to install Java on your computer to run IntelliJ IDEA.

A standalone JDK is required for Java development.

Windows	MacOS	Linux
Microsoft Windows 10/8/7/Vista/2003/XP (32 or 64 bit)	MacOS 10.5 or higher (only 64-bit systems are supported)	OS Linux (note that a 32-bit JDK is not bundled, so a 64-bit system is recommended) KDE, Gnome or Unity DE desktop

Download and install IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is available in two editions: Ultimate and Community. The Community edition is an open-source project and is free, but it has less features. The Ultimate edition is commercial, and provides an outstanding set of tools and features. For details, see the editions comparison matrix.

To install IntelliJ IDEA

Download IntelliJ IDEA (select a version depending on your operating system).
Do the following depending on your operating system:
- Windows:
  1. Run the ideaIC.exe or the ideaIU.exe file you have downloaded.
  2. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard.
- MacOS:
  1. Double-click the ideaIC.dmg or ideaIU.dmg file you have downloaded to mount the MacOS disk image.
  2. Copy IntelliJ IDEA to the Applications folder.
- Linux:
  1. Unpack the ideaIC.gz or ideaIU.gz file you have downloaded to a different folder if your current Downloads folder doesn't support file execution:
    tar xfz ideaIC.tar.gz or ideaIU.tar.gz. <new_archive_folder>
    
    The recommended install location according to the filesystem hierarchy standard (FHS) is /opt. For example, it's possible to enter the following command:
    
    sudo tar xf -*.tar.gz -C /opt/
  2. Switch to the bin directory, for example:
    cd opt/-*/bin
  3. Run idea.sh from the bin subdirectory.

Run IntelliJ IDEA for the first time

Import IntelliJ IDEA settings

When you start IntelliJ IDEA for the first time, or after you have upgraded it from a previous version, the Complete Installation dialog opens where you can select whether you want to import the IDE settings:

If this is your first instance of IntelliJ IDEA, choose the Do not import settings option.

Select the user interface theme

Next, you will be prompted to select the UI theme. You can choose between the default light theme and the Darcula scheme:

Disable the unnecessary plugins

IntelliJ IDEA is shipped with a variety of plugins that provide integration with different version control systems and application servers, add support for various frameworks and development technologies, etc.

On the next step you can disable the plugins you do not need to increase IntelliJ IDEA performance. If necessary, you can re-enable them later in the Settings dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S under Plugins).

You can click the Disable All link for each group of plugins to disable them all, or Customize to disable individual plugins.

Download and install additional plugins

On the next step, you are prompted to download additional plugins that are not bundled with the IDE from the IntelliJ IDEA plugins repository:

Start a project in IntelliJ IDEA

After you have completed initial IntelliJ IDEA configuration, the Welcome screen will be displayed. It allows you to:

Register IntelliJ IDEA

To try and evaluate IntelliJ IDEA, you can download and install its trial version for free. The trial version is available for 30 days, whereupon you need to obtain and register a license.

Do one of the following:
- On the Welcome screen, click Configure | Manage License
- Select Help | Register from the main menu
Select how you want to register IntelliJ IDEA:
- JetBrains Account: select this option if you have a JetBrains Account that allows you to access your purchases and manage licenses (see What is JetBrains Account? to learn more).
- Activation code: select this option if you have an activation code for IntelliJ IDEA, and paste it to the text area.
- License server: select this option to register IntelliJ IDEA through the License Server web application that allows you to manage floating licenses and issue licenses to users who do not have direct internet access.

Update IntelliJ IDEA

Download the latest version of IntelliJ IDEA.
Launch the setup as described in Download and install IntelliJ IDEA.
Choose whether you want to uninstall the existing product version together with its settings, caches and local history and follow the instructions of the installation wizard.

Manage IntelliJ IDEA through Toolbox App

Toolbox App is an control panel that allows you to manage all JetBrains developer tools, including IntelliJ IDEA, as well as your projects, from a single point of access. It lets you maintain different versions of the same tool, install updates and roll them back if needed. It also remembers your JetBrains Account and uses it to automatically log you in when you install and register new tools.

Download Toolbox App.
Launch the setup file.
When the installation is complete, accept the JetBrains privacy policy and sign in to your JetBrains Account.

Now you can manage existing tools, install new tools and download updates:

IntelliJ IDEA 2017.2 Help