Project security
To prevent potential security risks, CLion lets you decide how to open a project if you're not sure about its source. CLion warns you about tasks or configurations that will be executed during the opening process and lets you configure sources that you can trust.
CMake, Makefile, and Gradle projects security
When you open a CMake, Makefile, or Gradle project, CLion executes its build scripts during the loading process that may potentially contain the untrusted code.
Open a project for the first time
When you try to open a CMake, Makefile, or Gradle project from an unknown source for the first time, CLion displays a warning and lets you decide how to proceed.
You can select one of the following actions:
Preview in Safe Mode: in this case CLion opens a project in a "preview mode" meaning you can browse the project's sources, but it might be unsafe to execute Gradle tasks, load and run CMake or Makefile targets.
CLion displays a notification on top of the editor area, and you can click the Trust project link and load your project at any time.
Trust Project: in this case, CLion opens and loads a project. That means build scripts are executed, project's plugins are resolved, dependencies are added, and so on.
Don't Open: in this case CLion cancels the action.
Open an existing project
If a project you are planning to open was created on a different machine and contains the .idea directory, CLion opens your project in the IDE automatically as if you chose the Preview in Safe Mode action. CLion doesn't execute build scripts, resolve project's plugins, or add any dependencies. However, you still can browse the project's sources and open them in the editor.
If you try to reload the project or execute targets in case of CMake or Makefile, or run Gradle tasks using menu items, dedicated tool windows, or the Run Anything window, CLion will prompt you to confirm that you trust the project before proceeding.
CLion also displays an editor notification stating that the project is untrusted.
If you trust the source, click Trust project and load it.
For CMake projects, CLion will open the CMake Profile Wizard.
You can also add the source to the trusted locations, so the next time you open your project, CLion will trust it implicitly.
Startup tasks
When you open a project created on a different machine, it might contain some scripts or tasks that are executed during the opening process. If such tasks are found, CLion displays a notification suggesting that the code you are about to execute might be harmful.
You can review what tasks will be executed and modify the settings.
Review the startup tasks
In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, go to .
On the Startup Tasks settings page, you can review and modify the startup tasks.
Trusted locations
You can configure what sources CLion should consider safe and load such projects automatically during the opening process.
You can add your home directory to the trusted locations to disable CLion's warnings about untrusted projects.
Configure trusted locations
In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, go to .
On the Trusted Locations settings page, configure the local directories where the projects you consider trusted reside. Click OK to save the changes.
The next time you open a project from one of those locations, CLion will automatically load the project.