IntelliJ IDEA EAP 5: GPG Signature, Space Integration Updates, and More

Irina Mariasova

It’s been over a month since we started highlighting the new features that IntelliJ IDEA 2021.2 will contain. This week, our EAP comes with support for GPG signatures, UI updates for the VCS, Space integration improvements, and more.

To test out the changes in EAP 5, you can get the new build from our website, through the free Toolbox App, or as a snap (for Ubuntu).

Let’s dive in and explain in detail what we’re introducing in this week’s version.

VCS

GPG signature

It is now possible to enable Git commit signing with GPG via Preferences/Settings | Version Control | Git. If it is your first time using a GPG key, you need to configure it. With an existing preconfigured GPG key, you just need to select it from the drop-down list.

Changes instead of Default Changelists in new projects

For quite a while now, IntelliJ IDEA has been using Default Changelist as the name for the node that stores all uncommitted changes. In this EAP, we’ve decided to make the phrasing more precise by using the word Changes instead. This update will affect your new projects.

Another noticeable change is that the IDE will no longer add changelists automatically for Git operations. So, for example, cherry-pick won’t trigger a changelist creation.

However, if you still prefer automatic creation over the new behavior, you can activate the former in Preferences/Settings | Version Control by ticking the Create changelists automatically checkbox.

Increased minimum supported Git version

The lowest version of Git supported by your IDE is now v2.17. We’ve increased the minimum supported version because 2.17 is the oldest version that still receives security updates.

Space integration

Mention teammates

In this EAP we have a minor but helpful update coming from the web version of Space. You can keep your teammates informed by quickly mentioning them in Space reviews, right from IntelliJ IDEA. Type @ followed by the person’s name in the timeline or code comments, and then select them from the list.

Branch display in code reviews

In the previous EAP version, we displayed related branches only for merge requests. With this update, it is possible to see the branches related to the selected code review. The Details tab now shows a list of branches that contain the commits made while working on the current issue.

User experience

Change project icons

This is a reminder about a nice little feature that helps you smarten up how your projects look on the welcome screen. In IntelliJ IDEA, you can upload custom icons by right-clicking on any project and selecting Choose project icon from the context menu. The dialog has become more straightforward and neat, allowing you to choose the desired SVG file for each project.

Code with Me

Better collaborative performance around the world

Code With Me recently launched two new relay servers: one on the west coast of the US and another one in South Africa. This has made the ping almost three times faster, and it allows teams from those locations to collaborate in their JetBrains IDEs at the speed of thought.

These were the most important updates from week five! All the other changes are covered in the release notes. Please try out the new features and share your feedback in the comments below. Also, if you come across any bugs, please report them to our issue tracker.

Happy developing!

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