Helping us test DropTracker

DropTracker moves quickly, and every change to the RuneLite plugin is tested by real players before it reaches the Plugin Hub. Bug testers run the pre-release version of the plugin on their own account, play the game normally, and tell us when something looks wrong. You don't need to know how to program — you just need a computer, an Old School RuneScape account, and about half an hour for the one-time setup below.

What you get

Verified bug testers are awarded the Bug Tester badge on their profile, and for as long as the badge is active you automatically receive every perk of the Fanatic tier — our personal subscription — at no cost:

• Submission DMs — the bot DMs you about your own drops, personal bests, and other achievements, with your own filters.
• Supporter flair on your public profile.
• Personal video capture — your submissions can attach video clips even if your group's plan doesn't include them.

You never have to subscribe — the perks are our thank-you. If you'd like to support the project on top of testing, a paid Fanatic subscription still works exactly as normal and stacks with the badge.

How to become a bug tester

It all happens in our Discord:

1. Join the server and say hello — let us know you'd like to help test.
2. Follow the steps below so you can run the pre-release plugin.
3. When you report your first bugs (or confirm fixes), staff will award your Bug Tester badge and the perks activate automatically.

Make sure the account you play on is linked to your Discord — badges attach to your player, and the perks flow to the linked account.

What you'll need

• A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer with about 2 GB of free disk space.
• An Old School RuneScape account you're comfortable playing on.
• No programming knowledge. You'll install one free program and click through some menus — this guide covers every step.

Step 1 — Install IntelliJ IDEA (Community Edition)

IntelliJ IDEA is the program we'll use to download, build, and run the plugin. The Community Edition is completely free.

1. Go to jetbrains.com/idea/download.
2. Make sure your operating system is selected at the top (Windows / macOS / Linux).
3. Scroll past the paid "Ultimate" edition to IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and click Download.
4. Run the installer and accept the default options. On Windows, ticking "Create Desktop Shortcut" during install makes it easier to find later.
5. Launch IntelliJ. The first time it opens you'll see a small Welcome to IntelliJ IDEA window — that's exactly where the next step begins.

Step 2 — Download the plugin code

1. On the Welcome window, click Clone Repository (older versions call it Get from VCS) near the top right.
2. In the URL field, paste:

https://github.com/joelhalen/droptracker-plugin.git

3. The Directory field below it is where the code will live on your computer — the suggested location is fine.
4. Click Clone.
   • If IntelliJ says Git is not installed, click the offered Download and install link right in that message, wait for it to finish, then click Clone again.
5. When the project opens, IntelliJ asks whether you trust the project. Click Trust Project — you've just downloaded it from our official GitHub, and nothing runs until you tell it to.

Step 3 — Set up Java 11

RuneLite runs on Java 11, and IntelliJ can download it for you — no separate installer needed.

1. Open File → Project Structure (Windows/Linux shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S; macOS: ⌘;).
2. In the left column, under Project Settings, click Project.
3. Open the SDK dropdown and choose Download JDK…
4. In the little window that appears, set Version to 11 and Vendor to Eclipse Temurin (AdoptOpenJDK HotSpot), then click Download.
5. Once it finishes, set Language level to 11 if it isn't already, and click OK.

Step 4 — Let Gradle finish (and how to refresh it)

Gradle is the build tool bundled with the project — it downloads RuneLite itself and everything else the plugin needs. You don't install it; it just runs.

• The first time the project opens, watch the progress bar along the bottom edge of the window. Messages like "Resolving dependencies" can take several minutes on the first run. Let it finish.
• To refresh Gradle at any time (you'll do this after switching branches or pulling updates): click the Gradle tab on the right edge of the window (the elephant icon), then click the circular-arrows "Sync All Gradle Projects" button at the top of that panel. Alternatively press Ctrl+Shift+A (macOS: ⇧⌘A), type Sync All Gradle Projects, and press Enter.
• A successful sync ends quietly — no red text in the Build panel at the bottom.

Step 5 — Build the project

1. Open the Build menu at the top and click Build Project (or press Ctrl+F9; macOS: ⌘F9).
2. The Build panel opens at the bottom. The first build downloads a lot — give it a few minutes.
3. You're done when it reports something like "Build completed successfully". If you see red errors instead, jump to Troubleshooting below.

Step 6 — Create the run configuration

This is the "shortcut" that starts RuneLite with the pre-release DropTracker plugin loaded. You only create it once.

1. In the Project panel on the left, expand the folders: droptracker-plugin → src → test → java → io.droptracker.
2. Inside you'll find a file called DropTrackerPluginTest.
3. Right-click it and choose Run 'DropTrackerPluginTest.main()'. IntelliJ builds the project and a RuneLite window opens — that's the test client. You can close it for a moment; there's one small setting to add.
4. Open Run → Edit Configurations… at the top of the window. On the left, select DropTrackerPluginTest (it was created automatically when you ran it).
5. If you don't see a VM options box, click Modify options and tick Add VM options. In the VM options box, type exactly:

-ea

6. Click OK. (-ea switches on RuneLite's internal self-checks, which makes problems easier for us to diagnose.)

From now on, running the test client is one click: pick DropTrackerPluginTest in the dropdown at the top right of IntelliJ and press the green play button next to it.

Step 7 — Play with the pre-release plugin

The window that opens is a completely normal RuneLite client, with one difference: the DropTracker plugin inside it is the pre-release code you just built (the Plugin Hub isn't involved at all).

1. Log into your account and click the wrench icon to open the configuration panel.
2. Find DropTracker in the plugin list and make sure it's enabled — set it up just like you would the live version (see The RuneLite plugin).
3. Play normally. Drops, personal bests, collection log slots — everything should behave exactly like the live plugin. When it doesn't, that's a find!

Signing in with a Jagex account

If your account is a Jagex account (you normally sign in through the Jagex Launcher), the test client can't show the launcher's sign-in screen by itself. RuneLite maintains an official, up-to-date guide for exactly this situation — follow it once and your development client will sign in normally afterwards:

Using Jagex Accounts — RuneLite wiki

If your account still uses a classic username/password login, you can skip this — just log in inside the client like always.

Testing a specific branch

The code you cloned is the master branch — the next release, ahead of whatever the Plugin Hub currently ships. Sometimes we'll ask testers in Discord to try a specific branch (a work-in-progress fix or feature). When a test round names a branch:

1. Click the branch name (it says master) in the bottom-right corner of the IntelliJ window.
2. In the popup, type the branch name we announced. Look under Remote → origin, hover the branch, and click Checkout.
3. Refresh Gradle (Step 4), then run the test client again with the green play button.

To get back to normal afterwards, do the same thing and check out master again. To pull in the latest changes on whatever branch you're on, use Git → Update Project… (Ctrl+T; macOS: ⌘T).

Reporting what you find

Post your findings in the testing channel of our Discord. The most useful reports include:

• What you did — e.g. "received a 12M drop at Zulrah with screenshots enabled".
• What you expected, and what actually happened.
• A screenshot of the client (and the side panel, if relevant).
• Your RSN and the branch you were running (master unless we asked you to switch).
• If the client printed errors, the log file helps too: ~/.runelite/logs/client.log (on Windows: C:\Users\YourName\.runelite\logs\client.log).

"It works fine" is also a valuable report during a test round — confirming a fix is half the job.

Troubleshooting

• Gradle sync fails or complains about the JDK — redo Step 3, then check File → Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Build Tools → Gradle and make sure Gradle JVM is set to your Java 11 SDK (or "Project SDK").
• The code is full of red "Cannot resolve symbol" errors — Gradle hasn't finished (or needs a refresh). Do the refresh in Step 4 and wait for it to complete.
• RuneLite opens but DropTracker isn't in the plugin list — you probably ran RuneLite itself rather than the test class. Make sure you're running DropTrackerPluginTest (Step 6), which loads the plugin into the client.
• The client won't start after updating — Build → Rebuild Project, then run again. Still stuck? Ask in Discord; someone will get you sorted.
• Jagex account sign-in loops or fails — follow the Using Jagex Accounts guide step by step; it changes occasionally, and RuneLite keeps that page current.

For deeper background, RuneLite's own developer documentation lives here: Developer Guide · Building with IntelliJ IDEA