JetBrains IDE Delivery with SDC

1. Enroll in the JetBrains IDE Delivery Pilot Program

Your entry into JetBrains IDE delivery begins with the SDC JetBrains IDE pilot program. Enroll in the program to have access to a JetBrains IDE license for delivering packages. This allows us to be sure all functions work as expected and for you to provide feedback to us.

To enroll in the program, visit https://www.genuitec.com/go/jetbrains/. You will be contacted with further instructions on getting a JetBrains IDE license.

2. Install a JetBrains IDE Pack

Even before enrolling in the pilot program, you can install a JetBrains IDE pack onto your SDC delivery hub machine. Once the pack is installed, you can play with creating packages. However, to deliver a package to your team, you must join the pilot program to get the JetBrains IDE delivery license.

2.1 Accessing the JetBrains IDE Pack

1. On the Admin Console Dashboard, click the installing packs link.
   
   
   Pack access
   
   You can also install packs by clicking Get Packs on any Secure Packages page.
   
   
   
   Pack access from a Secure Packages page
2. Click Install beside the IntelliJ IDEA and/or WebStorm pack for generating packages for delivery. Install the Certified JetBrains Popular Pack to be able to add additional plugins to your packages. 
   
   The Admin Console downloads and installs the new pack behind the scenes, directly into the SDC delivery hub. The Notifications area displays the progress.
   
   
   Installing the IntelliJ IDEA pack

3. Create and Roll Out a JetBrains IDE Package

The basic steps to creating and rolling out an IntelliJ IDEA or WebStorm package are the same as for delivering an Eclipse-based package. The example below illustrates creating and delivering an IntelliJ IDEA package, but the steps are the same for WebStorm.

3.1 Create a Package

1. In the Secure Packages list in the Admin Console navigation, click JetBrains IDE Packages.
   
   
   Creating a JetBrains IDE package
   
   The software package list appears. Once you have created and delivered packages, this page displays usage information – a usage trend graph, versions being used, and general usage statistics.
   
   
   Software packages list
2. Click in the Packages section.
3. Enter a title for the package. This title will be displayed on the end-user portal web page. Choose one or more delivery groups for the package. If no groups exist or none are selected, the package appears on the portal home page, if using the default access policy. Click Next.
   
   
   Naming the new package
4. Select the JetBrains product, edition and version, and click Next.
   
   
   Selecting the JetBrains product

The Package Details page opens to the Overview tab. The status of capabilities that can be defined for the package displays in the Capabilities section. The first four are set up by default. You can tailor these to fit your needs by clicking the Configuration tab or the corresponding items in the Admin Console navigation. You can also view usage metrics for this package.

Package overview

At this point, the package is created with default access, environment, and security policies.

3.2 Commit Local Changes

Committing changes indicates you are happy with the package and the corresponding installer. Committing saves the package to the SDC hub so other administrators can access it in their Admin Console. Committing also archives your work. You can view and restore archives from the Timeline tab.

1. Click the Modified locally notification in the Notifications section.
   
   Note: You can click the local changes Details button at the top right corner to commit/promote at any point after the package is created.
   
   
   Local changes ready to commit
2. Select the package you want to commit, and click Commit Changes. If you have previously committed changes and want to revert to the latest version on the hub, click Revert Changes.

3.3 Promote Committed Changes

Promoting package changes makes software available to your users. The first time you promote a software package, SDC builds installers for users. The package configuration, i.e. the access policy, determines if it is available as a bundled or network-based installer, and if it is available from the included software portal web page.

1. After changes have been committed, click the Promotable Changes notification in the Notifications section to open the Promotable Items page.
   
   
   Promotable items
2. Select the item you want to promote, and click Promote Changes. Promoting a new software package triggers SDC to build either a network-based or bundled installer or both, depending on the configuration of the access policy chosen for the package. When promoting software updates, you can choose to either build new installers at the time of promotion, or postpone building updated installers.
   
   Note: When you promote, you must enter a comment. This comment will not appear to the end user, but will be visible in the package history.

The Timeline tab allows you to track the promotion state of a package. You can see which installers are available and if they are up to date, and you can view statistics on when a package was last promoted.

Timeline tab showing the live package and up-to-date installers

4. Get New Packages and Updates to Users

Through the access policy, you can direct SDC to create either web, online, or offline installers – or all types. When you promote a new package, SDC triggers installer builds. If you chose to use the portal, a link to installers is provided on the portal automatically. You can direct your end users to the appropriate portal page, either the group’s page or the home page to download the appropriate installer.

Package installers available to end users on the portal page

4.1 Installing a New Software Package

Users click the appropriate link to download the installer for their operating system.

End user installing new package

4.2 Accepting Updates to an Existing Package

After promoting a package, you might find reason to make a change to the package, such as updating software or adding plugins. When you make a change to an existing package, you commit and promote the package just as you do a new one. Users who have already installed the package receive a pop-up message indicating that an update is available. The message is not immediate, however. A job running in the background checks at a specified interval for updates that need to be pushed out. The default interval is determined by the Addtional update settings security policy option.

Users can also check for updates from the Help menu at any time.

   
Pop-up notifications indicate updates are available

Updates Available window

When users click the Apply link from the popup, or Update and Restart in the Updates window, the update begins and the software restarts.

5. Setting Workspace Tasks

With SDC you can help your team configure their workspace through the use of workspace tasks. Use the Configuration tab of your package inside the Admin Console to set them up.

5.1 Managing Disabled Plugins

Introduced in SDC 2015 SR2 is the ability to manage the disabled plugins list inside JetBrains IDEs.  Follow the following steps to start managing your list of disabled plugins.

1. Install SDC 2015 SR2 or later.
2. Promote your SDC managed JetBrains IDE.
3. Accept the updates in your JetBrains IDE.
4. Disable the plugins you do not want to use via File->Settings…->Plugins.
5. Use the File->Export configuration for SDC… and select a target directory to create a configuration.jbc file containing the extra configuration needed to manage your disabled plugins list.  You should see a notification in your JetBrains IDE like the following.
   
   
6. In your Admin Console, add the exported configuration.jbc file to your package’s configuration section.
7. Commit and promote your package.

Other installations of your package will now see their list of disabled plugins managed automatically.  You can repeat this procedure to update the list of disabled plugins.

5.2 Setting Configurations

You can share the preferences from your JetBrains package with your team by exporting the settings and using the exported file as a workspace configuration.

1. Modify the settings you would like to share with your team.
2. Select Export Settings… from the File menu.
   
   
   Export your Jetbrains package preferences to your team
3. Use the exported file as a Workspace task inside the Configuration tab of your JetBrains package.
   
   
   Configure your workspace task in JetBrains
   
   

6. Policy Settings Not Applicable to JetBrains IDE Packages

Currently, some Eclipse package policy settings are not applicable to JetBrains IDE packages.

• Environmental policies do not apply
• Security policies do not apply with the exception of the Additional update settings drop-down on the selected security policy Updates page.
• Secure Marketplaces currently do not apply. However, you can add software to your JetBrains package if you’ve installed the Certified JetBrains Popular Pack.
  
  
  Adding extra software to a package