Hey folks! If you keep your projects inside WSL and open them from a JetBrains IDE on Windows, the 2026.2 release changes which path you should be on, and we'd really like to hear how it holds up on your projects.

TLDR: just open the project. In IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, and PhpStorm, a project that lives in WSL now opens in Native Mode. The IDE stays a Windows app, and a small Rust agent inside WSL – we call it IJent – handles files and processes on its behalf. No 2 GB IDE backend to install into your distro, no thin client, no \wsl$ round trip for every single file read.

https://preview.redd.it/grr0ev8j5hoh1.png?width=1999&format=png&auto=webp&s=bdbba1923d38bbfeaac7db98fd84d98ba6eb0696

…And symlinks finally behave

Symlinks now resolve with proper Linux semantics instead of being squeezed through 9P. If you've ever watched the IDE spot a directory and then refuse to index it – pnpm workspaces, Python virtual environments, Composer path repositories – that whole category of weirdness is gone. Third-party plugins get it for free too, since their file operations go through the same agent.

The story behind it

Native Mode is our third architecture for WSL support, and we say that with some pride rather than embarrassment. Before it came 9P with GeneralCommandLine, then WSLg, then Remote Development. 

We wrote the whole story up: what each approach did, where it broke, and why IJent plus EelApi is the foundation we're confident building on – for WSL, and for Docker and Dev Containers next. If you've ever wondered why WSL support in JetBrains IDEs felt different depending on how you opened the project, that post is the answer: https://jb.gg/native-mode-for-wsl 

Q&A

What do I need to do to get Native Mode?
Open your WSL project directly in IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, or PhpStorm 2026.2. That's it.

What about the Remote Development entry point on the Welcome screen?
Still there, still works. It's just no longer the way we'd recommend opening a WSL project.

Is WSLg supported?
It technically runs, but it's never been a supported workflow – there's no installation or onboarding flow around it, and the Wayland path has known limits in rendering, popups, window management, and input methods. We don't recommend it.

Which IDEs have Native Mode?
IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, and PhpStorm today. More are moving to the IJent and EelApi architecture.

Is this only about WSL?
No, and that's kind of the point. The same agent backs our work on Docker and Dev Containers, so instead of three separate stories you get one model.

I write plugins. Does this change anything for me?
It should make your life easier. EelApi hides the difference between local and remote environments, so your code doesn't need to care whether the IDE is working locally, in WSL, in Docker, or in a Dev Container: https://blog.jetbrains.com/platform/2026/06/the-dev-containers-story-introducing-eelapi-for-plugin-authors

How to try it

1. Update to IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, or PhpStorm 2026.2
2. Open a project that lives in WSL, directly – not through Remote Development
3. Tell us how it went in the comments 🙃

 

On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we want to highlight recent and upcoming improvements in JetBrains IDEs: magnifier support on Windows, enhanced keyboard navigation to previously unreachable IDE parts, and Orca support since 2026.2.
From the linked blog post, you'll learn what's already available and what we're actively working on to make our products accessible.
Developers who rely on accessibility features in your daily work, we would appreciate your feedback!