Locating IDE log files

The easiest way to find the product log file is the Help menu, the item name would depend on the IDE version and OS:

  • Show Log in Explorer
  • Show Log in Finder
  • Show Log in Konqueror/Nautilus
  • Reveal Log in Explorer
  • Reveal Log in Finder/Finder/Nautilus
 
Log file is named idea.log and is rotated basing on the file size. When attaching logs to your problem report it's recommended to zip and send several latest log files (idea.log, idea.log.1, idea.log.2, idea.log.3).
 
You can also use the Collect Logs and Diagnostic Data  (Compress Logs and Show in ... before 2020.1) action to generate the .zip file with all the log files (including the build logs and the automatic thread dumps).
 

Can't access Help menu, how do I find the log file manually?

When IDE doesn't start or you can't access Help menu, locate the log file manually:
 

IntelliJ IDEA External Build logs

IDE starts a separate process for compilation, this process writes logs into the %idea.log.path%\build-log\build.log file. Attach this file as well if you are reporting problems related to compilation.

For the more verbose logging edit build-log-jul.properties file (located next to the build.log file), uncomment the last line, so that it looks like this (\# is escaping the comment symbol):

\#org.jetbrains.jps.level=FINER

It's recommended that you delete the existing log files, start the IDE, reproduce the problem, then attach all the new log files.

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26 comments

I have searched my entire system and there is no file called idea.log that I can find. I am using Mac OS Mavericks. I confirmed in /Applications/IntelliJ IDEA 11.app/bin/log.xml that the file should be called idea.log. The param reads: <param name="file" value="$LOG\_DIR$/idea.log"/> But I cannot find out what $LOG_DIR should be.

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Barclay Dunn, look under /Users/<user>/Library/Logs/IntelliJIdea11.

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They are ALL under /Users/<user>/Library!

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How do I configure IntelliJ to log DEBUG level information to idea.log? (I am developing a plugin and want to see debug info in the log file).

 

Thanks!

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UPDATE: currently debug logging is configured via Help | Diagnostic Tools | Debug Log Settings, the method below will no longer work.

 

 

 

IDE is using log4j framework for logging, you can fine tune it in bin/log.xml file. It's recommended to add your own logging categories with debug level.

<category name="#org.your.plugin.package">

<priority value="DEBUG"/>

</category>

In the plugin code initialize logger like this:

private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getInstance("#org.your.plugin.package.SomeClass");

This way all the classes under the specified package will produce debug logs.

If you have any other questions specific to plugin development, please use the corresponding forum.

Edited by Serge Baranov
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Just an additional note: build.log configuration is located in

~/Library/Logs/IntelliJIdea13/build-log/build-log.xml

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Serge, thanks for the answer - that was just what I was looking for.

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Can the log level be increased for the updater too? I have severe issues with the updater (support request #23223 and IDEA-121473) and have no clue how to get more details about what goes wrong with IDEA.

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Anyone who got a error mesage like "sun/security/internal/spec/TlsMasterSecretParameterSpec", check your JDK version in System preference panel. 

I was trying to licensing webstrom via strudent license. But when I type my Id/pw in license window, the above error message pops up. I send error report to the jetbrains support team, and this guy reply me.

I'm using mag OsX 10.8.5 (mountain lion) and my previous JDK version is 1.7.

Refer to https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/entries/27854363  , IDE (including webstorm) require JDK 1.6 version. It also said JDK 1.7 and 1.8 would make some problem.

Hope this comment useful to someone in trouble like me.

Bye~

 

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Where can I update/see the CompilerInterface output/log details/etc? The build.log file barely has any details other than "Compilation Failed": https://db.tt/DyET02AS

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this is my tools -> RUN manage.py Task  bug

Edited by Permanently deleted user
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Auto-completion for OpenCV (cv2) module is not working. However, it is working for tensorflow. I am not getting why. 

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Isn't there a way to view logs generate by my Scala code within InteliiJ IDEA?

See this question for more details

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Starting file watcher: C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2020.1\bin\fsnotifier64.exe

logs?

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I have found that options used in configurations of settings has issues and after removal of Compiler options for Functional test has resolved the issue

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I have no idea wtf is wrong with you people.

CLion is eating more than 3 Gb of RAM and it's slower than my grandmother!

Opening projects is freaking slow as well as indexing the files

I already uploaded two memory snapshots but no one gives a fuck!!!

 

Edited by Hedaribo09
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Upgrading to IntelliJ Ultimate 2021.1 caused:

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Try reinstalling from https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/index.html. Installation appears to be corrupted.

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Cucumber for Java plugin is not downloading. What is the reason? This is a blocker. 

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In the article, it says "For the more verbose logging edit build-log.properties file,".

Where is build-log.properties localed?

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20102076 The file name has changed recently, please look under the System directory: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html#system-directory, log\build-log subdirectory: build-log-jul.properties.

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there is no build-log or build-log-jul.properties.

Also, there is no bin/log.xml to enable DEBUG level log.

 

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This directory appears if you are using IntelliJ IDEA to build a Java project.

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