CMake Presets versus CLion CMake Profiles for cross-platform toolchain consistency

A cross-platform C++ team needs reproducible CMake configuration that works on different developer machines and CI without manual per-machine setup.

CMake Presets externalize configure options, toolchain files and build directories into CMakePresets.json for version control and IDE-agnostic reuse. CLion CMake Profiles store generator, toolchain, CMake options and build directory in .idea/workspace.xml and provide a UI for local tweaks.

The trade-off is reproducibility and drift reduction with Presets versus IDE-specific flexibility with Profiles. Behavior is version-sensitive across CLion releases, and mixing both can produce conflicting configure arguments that are hard to trace.

Should preset selection be treated as the source of truth with profile overrides disabled, or kept alongside Profiles for local experimentation? What settings are merged versus overridden when a preset and a profile define the same option? How does CLion surface conflicts in the CMake tool window?