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IDEasy
Developer(s)devonfw
Initial releaseMarch 22, 2024; 14 months ago (2024-03-22)
Stable release
2025.05.001 / May 15, 2025; 12 days ago (2025-05-15)
Repositorygithub.com/devonfw/IDEasy
Written inJava, Bash
Operating systemWindows, macOS, Linux
LicenseApache License 2.0

IDEasy is a free and open-source tool.[1] that provides a command-line interface (CLI) for automating the setup and maintenance of development environments. It is the successor to devonfw-ide [2][3][4] and is developed as part of the devonfw initiative [5], which is supported by Capgemini [6]. IDEasy is intended to standardize developer onboarding by enabling consistent, project-specific environments with reduced manual configuration. It is particularly applicable for teams working across multiple projects with diverse toolchains and configuration requirements.

History

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IDEasy was introduced in 2024 as a modern replacement for devonfw-ide [1]. It was developed to address limitations in flexibility, maintainability, and cross-platform support found in its predecessor. The tool is actively maintained by contributors from the devonfw community [5] and is hosted on GitHub [1].

Features

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IDEasy provides a CLI for initializing fully configured development environments using a single command. Each environment is defined by a lightweight configuration stored in a Git repository, allowing teams to version, share, and maintain project-specific settings [1].

The tool supports sandboxed environments to prevent conflicts between tools or configurations, facilitating parallel development across multiple projects. It also supports multi-tenancy, enabling multiple environments to coexist on the same machine [1]. IDEasy supports multiple workspaces, enabling developers to manage different branches or sub-projects, with clear labeling in integrated development environments (IDEs). It automates environment setup and updates, reducing manual steps and configuration inconsistencies. The tool follows a lightweight design that avoids global system modifications [1]. Designed for extensibility, IDEasy integrates with a wide range of development tools, including proprietary software where licensing permits. Project configurations can be stored in version control systems such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, supporting collaborative workflows [1].

While IDEasy is currently supported on Windows, support for macOS and Linux is under active development. The tool is distributed under the Apache License 2.0 [7] and is available as free and open-source software [1] .

Technology

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IDEasy is primarily written in Java, with supporting scripts in Shell. It is distributed as a standalone executable and does not require administrative privileges to run. The tool uses Git for configuration management and supports integration with various development tools and IDEs. While cross-platform support is still being finalized, the tool is designed to be platform-independent [1].

Usage

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To use IDEasy, developers clone a project-specific configuration repository and run the ide create command using the IDEasy CLI. This initiates the download and setup of the required tools and configurations. The tool is designed for ease of use and requires limited manual intervention [1][8].

Alternatives

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Several tools offer functionality that is similar or complementary to IDEasy, depending on the requirements of a development team or individual developer. IDEasy focuses on automating and maintaining complete, project-specific development environments. Other tools are designed for installing individual software packages or managing isolated toolchains [9].

Development Containers (DevContainers), developed by Microsoft, define development environments using Docker containers. They support reproducible setups and integrate with IDEs such as Visual Studio Code and IntelliJ. These containers require Docker and may introduce performance overhead or additional complexity in lightweight or native development scenarios [10].

SDKMAN! is a command-line utility for managing parallel versions of SDKs such as Java, Maven, and Kotlin. It is cross-platform and provides a method for SDK management. It does not support the orchestration of complete development environments [11].

Chocolatey, WinGet, and Scoop are command-line package managers for Windows. They enable software installation and are maintained by the community or Microsoft. These tools are used for individual tool installation and do not manage project-specific configurations or environments [12][13][14].

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS, with support also available for Linux. It is used for installing a variety of software packages. It does not provide features for managing isolated or project-specific development setups [15].

Nix is a cross-platform package manager that supports reproducibility and isolation. It enables precise control over dependencies and allows the creation of isolated environments. It uses a declarative configuration model that may require familiarity for effective use [16].

Flatpak is a Linux package manager that includes application dependencies, enabling software to run across different distributions. It is primarily intended for desktop applications and is not commonly used for command-line development tools [17].

mvnw and gradlew are wrapper scripts for Maven and Gradle. They store configuration in version control to ensure consistent build tool versions across teams. These scripts manage only the associated build tools and do not configure broader development environments [18][19].

License and Contributions

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IDEasy is released under the Apache License 2.0.[7]. The project is hosted on GitHub, where users can report issues, contribute code, and participate in discussions[20]. As of 2025, the project has over 30 contributors and is under active development with regular updates [1].

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "IDEasy Repository". GitHub. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "devonfw-ide Repository". GitHub. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "28.02.2024: IDEasy & GraalVM – Automatisierung der IDE". GitHub. October 17, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  4. ^ Hohwiller, Jörg (October 2020). "Javamagazin - Entwicklungsumgebung automatisieren" (PDF). Capgemini. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "devonfw - Architecture blueprints and patterns for cloud native (micro-) services and multi-platform client applications". devonfw. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  6. ^ Capgemini. "devonfw" (PDF). Capgemini. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Apache Software Foundation. "Apache License, Version 2.0". Apache. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "IDEasy Documentation". GitHub. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "IDEasy Alternatives". GitHub. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  10. ^ "Development Containers". DevContainers. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  11. ^ "SDKMAN!". SDKMAN. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  12. ^ "Chocolatey". Chocolatey. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  13. ^ "Windows Package Manager". Microsoft. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  14. ^ "Scoop". Scoop. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  15. ^ "Homebrew". Homebrew. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  16. ^ "Nix & NixOS". NixOS. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  17. ^ "Flatpak". Flatpak. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  18. ^ "Apache Maven Wrapper". Apache. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  19. ^ "Gradle Wrapper Reference". Gradle. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  20. ^ "IDEasy Discussions". GitHub. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
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