Changing IDE default directories used for config, plugins, and caches storage

Invalid JVM option for 32-bit mode? See https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/hc/articles/207241105.

Yes, changing xmx helped. Thanks.

A couple of questions:

1. What happens when I upgrade using the Toolbox? Will I still be able to roll back to the previous version? (Not that I've ever needed to... :-) )
2. How does this relate to the "System and config directory" setting in the Toolbox? Changing this setting and pointing it at the .IntelliJIdea2017.1 directory seems to work. (Note: I've renamed the directory in the picture)

1. Yes

2. It edits the same file you would edit manually

Here are straightforward instructions if you need two separate instances of the IDE running in a way
instance #2 won't be locked if instance #1 has a modal window, for PHPStorm64 using Java 64 under
Windows (you can change the directories to your liking):

- Copy the entire C:\users\xxx\.PhpStorm2017.2 folder to, say, d:\apps\JetbrainsSecondInstance\AlternativeConfFolder
- Copy the C:\Program Files\JetBrains\PhpStorm 2017.1.2\bin\idea.properties to, say, d:\apps\JetbrainsSecondInstance\idea.properties
- Edit the d:\apps\JetbrainsSecondInstance\idea.properties and uncomment (remove the #) and change the following lines (note the forward slashes):

idea.config.path=d:/Apps/JetbrainsSecondInstance/AlternativeConfFolder/config
idea.system.path=d:/Apps/JetbrainsSecondInstance/AlternativeConfFolder/system
idea.plugins.path=${idea.config.path}/plugins
idea.log.path=${idea.system.path}/log

- Create a d:\apps\JetbrainsSecondInstance\Phpstorm2ndInstance.bat bat file that reads:

@echo off
SET PHPSTORM_PROPERTIES=d:\apps\JetbrainsSecondInstance\idea.properties
start "" "c:\Program Files\JetBrains\PhpStorm 2017.1.2\bin\phpstorm64.exe"

- Launch the .bat file. You're done! That is a totally separate instance and will not halt when instance #1 has a modal window locking things up.

#1
idea.properties in Default IDE configuration directory (assuming it is/was <SYSTEM DRIVE>\Documents and Settings\<USER ACCOUNT NAME>\.<PRODUCT><VERSION>) are ignored.

Windows 7 Professional 64bit SP1
IntelliJ Idea 2017.2.6

#2 Also, why does *every* update ignore/discard these settings, so that I have to re-do them manually all the time?

The ID for Rider is missing

Thanks, added Rider and GoLand.

For Clion, the correct environment variable is CL_PROPERTIES.  At least for 2018.1 on Linux.

"Follow the comments in IDE_HOME\bin\idea.properties file to change the defaults"

Um I had it create the idea.properties file, and this is the only thing in it:

# custom PhpStorm properties

The main thing I want to achieve is moving where scratch files are stored. I thought they were 'per project', and on my office computer I created one to throw code in, then went away for the weekend, and had no access to it on my laptop. (The project directory is synced via OneDrive). Very frustrating. Workaround for now is having a directory in the project called .ht-scratches set to be expluded from upload and save files in there

Comments are available only in the original file inside the IDE installation directory, they are not available in the copy of this file that is created when you use Help | Edit Custom Properties.

Ah, DOH! Thanks. I misread that it it would be in the one it created. I'm getting to old to be up programming 28 hours straight... LOL

One last thing, it created the custom idea.properties file inside of C:\Users\MyName\.PhpStorm2018.2\config, but I'm wanting to change the location of the config folder to be G:\OneDrive\AppData\PhpStorm\config....

So do I copy over the config dir to the new location and add

idea.config.path=G:\OneDrive\AppData\PhpStorm\config

To the copy in the original location, or do I try to make the change to the original one in the installation directory.

While I'm asking, for keeping sync between two system, (never running at same time), should I also sync the system directory as well? I know one minor peeve is every time I go from one machine to the other, I have to re setup deployment options for every project (connections are on both machines, but I have to set which one is default and the directory mapping).

You'd need to change the location of the properties file itself as described at the end of the document (using the environment variable).

Note that you can sync settings using JetBrains Account instead: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/sharing-your-ide-settings.html (Share your settings with the Settings Sync plugin).

Awesome, thanks for the info, should make things nice and smooth :)

Hello,

I created a new folder in my Windows user account like this: "C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm" and placed in it all content of "C:/Users/<username>/.PhpStorm2018.2".

Also, I edited the idea.propierties located in "C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config/idea.propierties" to change configuration directories:

idea.config.path=C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config
idea.system.path=C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/system
idea.plugins.path=${idea.config.path}/plugins
IDEA_PROPERTIES=C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config

And finally, I erased "C:/Users/<username>/.PhpStorm2018.2" folder. 

The problem is that when I open PHPStorm again, the directory "C:/Users/<username>/.PhpStorm2018.2" is recreated.

What I'm doing wrong?

IDEA_PROPERTIES is the environment variable that must be set in the system, it's not a property in the file.

Then, where I need to put or edit the line "IDEA_PROPERTIES=C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config" ?

You say that I need to set this in the system. Do you mean that I need to set something in Windows?

In the Windows environment variables settings: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000549.htm.

Okey I created a new environment variable following the steps of the link called "IDEA_PROPERTIES" with the value "C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config". Then I deleted the line "IDEA_PROPERTIES=C:/Users/<username>/Configurations/PHPStorm/config" from the idea.propierties file.

When I opened again PHPStorm, again created a new folder in my user directory. What I'm doing wrong?

As outlined in this document, the environment variable must point to idea.properties file itself, not to a directory. There is even an example:

IDEA_PROPERTIES=C:\Users\USER\idea.properties

Don't forget to reboot or logout/login.

And since you are using PhpStorm, the environment variable must be PHPSTORM_PROPERTIES instead of IDEA_PROPERTIES.

Ok, now works like a charm! Thank you!

Is it possible to only change the temp/tmp folder location?

I need this because I keep the system and config folder inside idea.home.path because settings etc have to be reimported on every update to avoid crashes + config loss

This works great BUT installing patch updates fails because the temp folder is inside of the idea installation.

So can I only move the temp folder out there?

IDE is using idea.system.path + "tmp" for the temp location, so there is no way to override it separately: https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/625cfb6efdb256ccf2e656648d580d8007b99f9a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/openapi/application/PathManager.java#L318.

OK, Thanks

What is %IDE%_PROPERTIES about IdeaIC (IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition)?

Both IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate and Community share the same environment variable for the properties file location: IDEA_PROPERTIES.

Not sure when it changed, but `$CL_PROPERTIES` is not valid for CLion, at least for 2018.3.2 on 64 bit Linux.  Reference `$IDE_HOME/bin/clion.sh`, the script tests for variable named `"$CLION_PROPERTIES"`

if [ -n "$CLION_PROPERTIES" ]; then ...

This has not been a very user-friendly experience. I'm just now beginning to learn object-based programming, starting with Kotlin (read as: I'm a noob). I shouldn't have to be an advanced software-engineer just to figure out how to relocate a config folder. You know what would be great? Building this feature into the software itself. Seems like this is something you could just put into the software's preference settings.

In addition, I feel like this article isn't written very clearly. I think it makes some excluding assumptions about knowledge and experience level.

It starts off telling me "the easiest way" to edit the idea.properties file is by using help>edit custom properties which leaves the original file unmodified, but then it doesn't tell me what to do next after opening up this blank idea.properites file. Rather, it tells me to open the original file located in IDE_HOME and modify it directly. Wait... I thought we weren't modifying the original file...ok...now we are? And what the heck is IDE_HOME? (Don't worry, I was able to figure this part out on my own, but it just goes to show you the anti-beginner tone and lack of clarity of the article).

So when I do create a blank idea.properties file, it puts it in the very same config folder I am trying to relocate. This absolutely makes no sense. The way around it? All I have to do is "override the location of idea.properties file using IDE specific environment variable". umm... what? The article just assumes everybody knows what this is and how to do this? This made no sense to me. I was able to get a bit more clarity by reading through some of the comments above, but it just points me to an entirely different website which gives no specifics on how to apply this to IntelliJ.

Can you please get somebody beginner-friendly on your team?