IntelliJ IDEA 2019.1 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: Remote Debug

Use this dialog to create a debug configuration to be used for remote debugging processes (e.g. applications, servlets, plugin applets). Remote debugging enables you to connect to a running JVM.

The dialog box consists of the following tabs:

Configuration tab

Item

Description

Command line arguments for running remote JVM

These read-only fields show the command-line arguments to be used for running a remote JVM. IntelliJ IDEA suggests two arguments, depending on the JDK version used.

Transport: Socket

If the Socket transport is selected, specify host where the remote process is running and to which the debugger will connect. Specify also the port on remote host to which the debugger should connect.

Transport: Shared Memory

Having selected Shared memory transport, specify the shared memory address in the text field. This kind of transport is available for Windows only.

Debugger mode: Attach

Select this radio button is you want the debugger to connect to a running remote JVM.

Debugger mode: Listen

Select this radio button is you want the debugger to run as a server for remote JVM's which will connect to it to perform debugging. In this case the Host field will be disabled (if the Socket transport is selected). The Port value is considered as a port at which the debugger-"server" will listen to connections from the debugger-"clients".

Logs tab

Use this tab to specify which log files generated while running or debugging should be displayed in the console, that is, on the dedicated tabs of the Run or Debug tool window.

Item

Description

Is Active

Select checkboxes in this column to have the log entries displayed in the corresponding tabs in the Run tool window or Debug tool window.

Log File Entry

The read-only fields in this column list the log files to show. The list can contain:

  • Full paths to specific files.

  • Ant patterns that define the range of files to be displayed.

  • Aliases to substitute for full paths or patterns. These aliases are also displayed in the headers of the tabs where the corresponding log files are shown.

    If a log entry pattern defines more than one file, the tab header shows the name of the file instead of the log entry alias.

Skip Content

Select this checkbox to have the previous content of the selected log skipped.

Save console output to file

Select this checkbox to save the console output to the specified location. Type the path manually, or click the browse button and point to the desired location in the dialog that opens.

Show console when a message is printed to standard output stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.out.

Show console when a message is printed to standard error stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.err.

the Add button

Click this button to open the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog where you can select a new log entry and specify an alias for it.

the Edit button

Click this button to edit the properties of the selected log file entry in the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog.

the Delete button

Click this button to remove the selected log entry from the list.

Common options

When you edit a run configuration (but not a run configuration template), you can specify the following options:

Item

Description

Name

In this field, specify the name for the run/debug configuration. The name will help you identify the created configuration when you choose to edit it later, or when you invoke it, for example, from the Run popup (Shift+Alt+F10).

Share

Select this checkbox to make the run/debug configuration available to other team members.

If the directory-based project format is used, the settings for a run/debug configuration are stored in a separate .xml file in the .idea\runConfigurations folder if the run/debug configuration is shared, or in the .idea\workspace.xml file otherwise.

If the file-based format is used, the settings are stored in the .ipr file for shared configurations, or in the .iws file otherwise.

Allow running in parallel

If this checkbox is selected, it is possible to launch a run configuration multiple times in parallel instead of rerunning it. Each runner will start in its own tab of the Run Tool Window or Debug Tool Window.

When disabled, every time a new instance of the run/debug configuration is launched, IntelliJ IDEA checks the presence of the other instances of the same run/debug configuration, and displays a confirmation dialog. If you click OK in the confirmation dialog, the first instance of the runner will be stopped, and the next one will take its place. This makes sense when launching two instances of run/debug configurations of the same type consumes too much of the CPU and memory resources..

Toolbar

The tree view of run/debug configurations has a toolbar that helps you manage configurations available in your project as well as adjust default configurations templates.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add buttonAlt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove buttonAlt+Delete

Delete the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you cannot delete default configurations.

Copy Ctrl+D

Create a copy of the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you create copies of default configurations.

Save configuration

The toolbar shows this button only when you select a temporary configuration. Click this button to save a temporary configuration as permanent.

Edit Templates

View and edit the template (that is, the default settings) for the selected run/debug configuration. The templates are displayed under the Templates node and used for newly created configurations.

Method up/Method down

Alt+Up/Alt+Down

Move the selected run/debug configuration up and down in the list.

The order of configurations in the list defines the order, in which the configurations appear when you choose a run/debug configuration.

Default templates of run/debug configurations are always sorted alphabetically.

Move into new folder / Create new folder

Move into new folder / Create new folder. You can group run/debug configurations by placing them into folders.

To create a folder, select the configurations within a category, click Folder, and specify the folder name. If only a category is in focus, an empty folder is created.

Then, to move a configuration into a folder, between the folders or out of a folder, use drag or Move Up and Move Down buttons.

To remove grouping, select a folder and click Remove Configuration.

Sort configurations

Click this button to sort configurations in the alphabetical order.

Before Launch options

In this area you can specify tasks that must be performed before starting the selected run/debug configuration. The tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add buttonAlt+Insert

Click this icon to add one of the following available tasks:

  • Run External tool: select to run an external application. In the dialog that opens, select one or multiple applications you want to run. If it is not defined in IntelliJ IDEA yet, add its definition. For more information, see Configuring Third-Party Tools and External Tools.

  • Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration. In the dialog that opens, select the configuration to be run.

  • Build Artifacts: select this option to build an artifact or artifacts. In the dialog that opens, select the artifact or artifacts that should be built.

  • Launch Web Browser: select this option to have a browser started.C In the dialog that opens, select the type of the browser and provide the start Url. Also, specify if you want the browser be launched with JavaScript debugger.

  • Run Ant target: select this option to run an Ant target. In the dialog that opens, select the target to be run.

  • Run Grunt task: select this option to run a Grunt task.

    In the Grunt task dialog that opens, specify the Gruntfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Grunt tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the grunt-cli package.

  • Run Gulp task: select this option to run a Gulp task.

    In the Gulp task dialog that opens, specify the Gulpfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Gulp tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the gulp package.

  • Run Maven Goal: select this option to run a Maven goal. In the dialog that opens, select the goal to be run.

  • Run npm Script: select this option to execute an npm script.

    In the NPM Script dialog that opens, specify the npm run/debug configuration settings.
  • Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps: select this option to generate the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located.

  • Run Remote External tool: adds a remote SSH external tool.

the Remove buttonAlt+Delete

Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.

Edit Enter

Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.

Method up/Method down

Alt+Up/Alt+Down

Click these icons to move the selected task one line up or down in the list. (The tasks are performed in the order that they appear in the list.)

Show this page

Select this checkbox to show the run/debug configuration settings prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.

Activate tool window

By default this checkbox is selected and the Run or the Debug tool window opens when you start the run/debug configuration.

Otherwise, if the checkbox is cleared, the tool window isn't shown. However, when the configuration is running, you can open the corresponding tool window for it yourself by pressing Alt+4 or Alt+5.

Last modified: 20 June 2019

See Also