WebStorm ignores browser settings for debugging

Hi there,

It's a correct/expected behaviour in current WebStorm/PhpStorm versions.

JavaScript debugger in WebStorm works only with Google Chrome browser together with JetBrains IDE Support extension.

Firefox is a bit different story -- have a look at "Debugging in Firefox" section of this blog article: http://blog.jetbrains.com/webstorm/2015/02/webstorm-10-eap/

Also: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issues/WEB?q=debug+firefox (e.g. https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WEB-14987)

Thanks. How do I actually debug my app with firefox. Do I still need enter the full URL I would with Chrome (e.g.: http://localhost/html/index.html), or is simply "localhost" good enough? Do I have to actually open my app as a local file in Firefox before I click on debug i the browser(e.g. file:///c:/Webstome/Projects/Foo/html/index.html ?)

What FireFox version do you use? Debugging in FireFox using 'Firefox Remote' run configuration only works with FireFox 33-35. It doesn't work with FireFox 36+ (https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WEB-15696).

See what is written in https://www.jetbrains.com/help/webstorm/2016.1/debugging-javascript.html:

Due to the recent crucial changes in the Firefox architecture, neither remote debugging nor standard for WebStorm local debugging work for Firefox. This procedure is a temporary solution and is applicable to Firefox versions 33, 34, and 35.

we plan to remove all information about FireFox debugging from our docs, except for https://www.jetbrains.com/help/webstorm/2016.1/run-debug-configuration-firefox-remote.html page. The latter will be hidden and only available through direct references.

Andriy, that's a strange comment. As my system default is Firefox and I want to debug in Chrome. Whatever the method I set it to Chrome ("first in list" or exact path to chrome.exe) - it still opens Firefox. So, I believe this issue still goes on, and means WebStorm cannot open a non-system-default browser for javascript app.

>it still opens Firefox

when does it open it? The IDE never opens Firefox for debugging

@Shmaya Tomer

Andriy, that's a strange comment.

Which part?

WebStorm's Help page clearly states the same (except that JetBrains IDE Support extension is not longer needed for quite long time now): https://www.jetbrains.com/help/webstorm/debugging-javascript-in-chrome.html

Debugging of JavaScript code is only supported in Google Chrome and in other Chromium-based browsers

As my system default is Firefox and I want to debug in Chrome.

I have the same setup. And JavaScript debugging works OK for me (in my quite simple scripts as I do very little JS (not really a JavaScript person, mainly PHP)).

Whatever the method I set it to Chrome ("first in list" or exact path to chrome.exe) - it still opens Firefox.

Please illustrate with screenshots (or better, a short screencast) showing what you click/press there. It's possible that you may be doing something wrong (e.g. missing step or clicking the wrong thing etc.). It could also be specific to your system.

So, I believe this issue still goes on, and means WebStorm cannot open a non-system-default browser for javascript app.

1. Make sure that Chrome is closed at that moment (as the IDE needs to launch it with some additional debug-related params)

2. What OS you have got there? Windows as I understand? I'm asking because there was a case on a Mac with Parallels Desktop AFAIR that was intercepting browser calls to the default app set there.

Okay, my mistake. I was running a React app - not trying to debug. I got to this thread as the settings ignored my custom default browser, but I realize it doesn't even take it into account when it's a react-app.