How to create IDE desktop shortcut for JetBrains IDE on Linux

October 29, 2026 10:15 Updated

Background/Situation

A JetBrains IDE installed on Linux from the standalone .tar.gz archive has no application menu entry. It starts from the bin directory of the extracted archive, with the native launcher (bin/idea) or the legacy script (bin/idea.sh). The launcher name matches the IDE, for example bin/pycharm or bin/rider. How to handle "Consider switching to a native launcher" notification explains why the native launcher is recommended.

Question

How to create a desktop entry (application menu shortcut) for a JetBrains IDE installed from a .tar.gz archive?

Answer

Start the IDE with the native launcher, for example bin/idea.
In the main menu, go to Tools | Create Desktop Entry...

In IDE versions 2026.1 and earlier, the desktop entry runs the same launcher that started the IDE. If the IDE was started with bin/idea.sh, the entry runs idea.sh. Starting with 2026.2, the entry always runs the native launcher ("Create Desktop Entry" uses .sh launcher instead of native one).

The action is also available on the Welcome screen: click on ⚙ (gear icon) | Create Desktop Entry... (for Rider: Configure | Create Desktop Entry...). To open the Welcome screen, go to File | Close Project, or see How to show Welcome Screen when IntelliJ IDE get opened or closed.