Building RuneLite in IntelliJ IDEA

Setting up a local development environment for RuneLite allows customization and plugin development. Follow this guide to build RuneLite using IntelliJ IDEA.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

1. JDK 11 (Download from Oracle JDK 11)
2. IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition (Download here)
3. Maven (Integrated with IntelliJ)
4. Git (Optional, for cloning the repository)

Step 1: Install JDK 11

1. Download JDK 11 from Oracle.
2. Run the installer and follow the default prompts.
3. Verify installation by running:

java -version

Ensure the output shows Java 11.

Step 2: Install IntelliJ IDEA

1. Download IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition from JetBrains.
2. Run the installer and complete the setup.
3. Launch IntelliJ IDEA and proceed with default settings.

Step 3: Clone the RuneLite Repository

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA.
2. Click on “Get from Version Control”.
3. Enter the RuneLite GitHub repository URL:

https://github.com/runelite/runelite.git

1. Click Clone and wait for the process to finish.

Step 4: Configure the Project SDK

1. Navigate to File → Project Structure.
2. Set Project SDK to Java 11.
3. Apply changes and close the settings window.

Step 5: Build the Project with Maven

1. Open the Maven panel (usually on the right side of IntelliJ IDEA).
2. Expand the RuneLite project.
3. Locate “install” under the Lifecycle section.
4. Right-click install and select “Run Maven Build”.
5. Wait for BUILD SUCCESS confirmation.

Step 6: Run RuneLite

1. Click the Build icon (green hammer) to compile the project.
2. Locate the “runelite-client” folder:

runelite-client → src → main → java → net.runelite.client

1. Right-click RuneLite.java and select Run ‘RuneLite’.
2. RuneLite should launch successfully.

Troubleshooting

Common Errors & Fixes

• SDK Not Set to 11?

• Go to File → Project Structure → Ensure Java 11 is selected.

• Build Errors?

• Run clean install in the Maven panel.

• Ensure you have a stable internet connection.

• Transparent or Blank Client?

• Rebuild the project and update dependencies.

Step 7: Adding Plugins

1. Navigate to:

runelite-client → src → main → java → net.runelite.client.plugins

1. Copy custom plugins to this directory.
2. Run Maven install to compile changes.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully built RuneLite in IntelliJ IDEA. Now you can:

• Modify the client
• Develop custom plugins
• Contribute to the open-source community

🎉 Happy coding!

Comments