title: IntelliJ debugger not hitting breakpoints in a Maven Java Google App Engine project (Eclipse works)
body: <p>So I'm starting to pull my hair out here. IntelliJ just doesn't want to trigger breakpoints, whereas Eclipse works just fine. I never thought I'd say that sentence :|</p>
  
  <p>Here's my example:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Create a clean new GAE project from the classic example <a href="https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/java/tools/maven#maven_app_engine_archetypes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Guestbook archetype</a></li>
  </ul>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>mvn archetype:generate -Dappengine-version=1.9.15
    -Dapplication-id=your-app-id -Dfilter=com.google.appengine.archetypes:guestbook-archetype</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>Uncomment the suggested lines in the pom.xml to allow remote debugging</p>
  
  <pre><code>    &lt;plugin&gt;
          &lt;groupId&gt;com.google.appengine&lt;/groupId&gt;
          &lt;artifactId&gt;appengine-maven-plugin&lt;/artifactId&gt;
          &lt;version&gt;1.9.15&lt;/version&gt;
          &lt;configuration&gt;
              &lt;enableJarClasses&gt;false&lt;/enableJarClasses&gt;
              &lt;!-- Comment in the below snippet to bind to all IPs instead of just localhost --&gt;
              &lt;!-- address&gt;0.0.0.0&lt;/address&gt;
              &lt;port&gt;8080&lt;/port --&gt;
              &lt;!-- Comment in the below snippet to enable local debugging with a remove debugger
              like those included with Eclipse or IntelliJ --&gt;
              &lt;jvmFlags&gt;
                  &lt;jvmFlag&gt;-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n&lt;/jvmFlag&gt;
              &lt;/jvmFlags&gt;
          &lt;/configuration&gt;
      &lt;/plugin&gt;
  </code></pre></li>
  <li><p>Run the devserver goal (which compiles, tests and runs the GAE environment)</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>mvn appengine:devserver</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><strong>(ECLIPSE: WORKING CASE)</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Fire up Eclipse Juno and import the project as a Maven project.</li>
  <li>Create a "Remote Java Application" Debug configuration
  <img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/JdPuF.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></li>
  <li>Set a breakpoint, Debug the app using the Remote config and BAM, breakpoint hit and app stops. As expected.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><strong>(INTELLIJ 14: <em>FAIL</em> CASE)</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Fire up INTELLIJ and import the project as a Maven project</li>
  <li>Create a "Remote Java Application" Debug profile
  <img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/2oMnh.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></li>
  <li>Set a breakpoint, Debug the app using the Remote config and BAM, breakpoint <strong>FAILS</strong> to trigger.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Other than the different IDEs, there is no difference in the project setup. This tells me I must be doing something wrong in IntelliJ, but I honestly don't know what.</p>
  
  <p>It just works in Eclipse and doesn't in IntelliJ. :|</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas?</p>
  
  <p>-- Shane</p>