Launching IntelliJ IDEA from Terminal on macOS without printing logs

Problem

When launching IntelliJ IDEA using the idea command from the terminal on macOS after setting export PATH=/Applications/IntelliJ IDEA.app/Contents/MacOS:$PATH in the ~/.zshrc file, the process remains linked to the terminal session. The terminal becomes focused on IntelliJ IDEA logs, blocking further terminal usage. This behavior was different in previous versions where the terminal session remained independent of the IDEA process.

Cause [Optional]

The cause of this issue stems from how the shell environment and IntelliJ IDEA interact when manually configuring the PATH. This approach does not fully detach the IDEA process from the shell instance.

Resolution

To achieve the functionality where the terminal remains usable after running the idea command, follow these steps:

1. Use JetBrains Toolbox App:

   • Download and install the JetBrains Toolbox App.
   • Use the application to manage IntelliJ IDEA installations and enable the proper launching scripts.

2. Create a Command-line Launcher from IntelliJ IDEA:

   • Open IntelliJ IDEA and navigate to Tools → Create Command-line Launcher.
   • Configure the launcher following the prompts. This setup ensures correct detachment behavior for the idea command.

Implementing either of these solutions will resolve the issue and restore the desired terminal behavior when launching IntelliJ IDEA.