IDE startup on Linux fails with "No JRE found" after extracting to an NTFS partition

Problem

IDE on Linux fails to start with the error:

"No JRE found. Please make sure $PHPSTORM_JDK, $JDK_HOME, or $JAVA_HOME point to a valid JRE installation."

Cause

IDE uses its bundled Java runtime located in the extracted archive’s jbr folder and does not require (or use) the system JAVA_HOME when jbr is present.

When the IDE archive is extracted onto an NTFS partition, Linux file permissions/executable bits may not be preserved. This can cause jbr/bin/java to lose its executable permission, so the launcher cannot run the bundled runtime and reports "No JRE found".

Resolution

1. Do not rely on JAVA_HOME to fix this for IDE 2025.2+ (Java 11 is too old for IDE 2025.2+).

2. Extract IDE onto a Linux filesystem that preserves executable permissions (e.g., ext4) such as your home directory.

   Example steps:

   • Close the terminal and open a new one.
   • Go to your home folder: cd ~
   • Extract the archive there: e.g. tar -xzf /path/to/PhpStorm-2025.2.6.2.tar.gz
   • Start the IDE: ~/PhpStorm-*/bin/phpstorm.sh

3. If needed, verify that the bundled Java binary is executable:

   • Check permissions: ls -l jbr/bin/java

After extracting the archive to a non-NTFS location where executable permissions are preserved, PhpStorm starts normally.