Windows installation of IDEA 2021.1.2
Answered
I have been using IDEA for a few years now. I recently installed it on Windows 10 for the first time. I observed two things that are somewhat odd/strange. Can you please shed detailed light on them?
- I understand a 32-bit OS and a 64-bit OS. My belief is that Windows 10 is a 64-bit OS. And yet, IDEA 2021.1.2 installer asks me if I want to create a desktop shortcut to a "32-/64-bit launcher". It also asks me if I want to download and install a 32-bit Jetbrains Runtime. What are these terms? Is launcher a synonym for runtime? Why am I presented with these options in 2021? Do I get to make this choice because a significant portion of IDEA users on Windows use a 32-bit JVM on a 32-bit Windows 10?
- IDEA is (just) an (the?) IDE. Why does one need to reboot Windows after installation to "complete the installation" and that too especially on Windows? I have never had to reboot my Ubuntu boxes after I installed any of the Jetbrains products. What is the reason to require a Windows reboot?
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> I understand a 32-bit OS and a 64-bit OS. My belief is that Windows 10 is a 64-bit OS. And yet, IDEA 2021.1.2 installer asks me if I want to create a desktop shortcut to a "32-/64-bit launcher". It also asks me if I want to download and install a 32-bit Jetbrains Runtime. What are these terms? Is launcher a synonym for runtime? Why am I presented with these options in 2021? Do I get to make this choice because a significant portion of IDEA users on Windows use a 32-bit JVM on a 32-bit Windows 10?
In the next release, we plan to get rid of 32-bit support due to the low number of users who use it. I believe these options will be removed from the installer after 2021.1. Please see https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-270576 , and https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2021/04/end-of-support-for-32-bit-operating-systems-in-intellij-based-ides .
> IDEA is (just) an (the?) IDE. Why does one need to reboot Windows after installation to "complete the installation" and that too especially on Windows? I have never had to reboot my Ubuntu boxes after I installed any of the Jetbrains products. What is the reason to require a Windows reboot?
I just tried to install 2021.1.2 and the installation wizard doesn't show any dialogs/options asking for a system reboot. Could you please provide a screenshot showing the issue?
Cool. Didn't want to trod on 32-bit Windows users, but it just sounded odd. Here's the screenshot:
Just for you, I reinstalled the entire 2021.1.2 at another location (Windows makes it hard to clean it up, I think). But, to my surprise, it does not show me that dialog this time! I guarantee you, however, that I saw it the first time when I wrote the original post. Perhaps some quantum entanglement ;-).