Opening a new instance of your Mozilla application with another profile: Difference between revisions

From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
Jump to navigationJump to search
(linked to Profile in use)
Line 9: Line 9:


Note: You can also open the [[Profile Manager]] with Firefox already running, by using ''-P -no-remote'' without including a profile name.  
Note: You can also open the [[Profile Manager]] with Firefox already running, by using ''-P -no-remote'' without including a profile name.  
==Some Tips on using Multiple Profiles==
* Use [http://userstyles.org/styles/9514 Color Toolbar(s) to identify profile | userstyles.org] styling to color code your Firefox browser and dialog windows to identify the profile in use.  The style is installed, used and managed with the [http://userstyles.org/ Stylish] extension available at [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2108 addons].
* [Windows] Create [http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/quicklaunch.htm Windows Quick Launch shortcuts]
* [Windows] Use the [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/81 Launchy] extension to open current page in another profile with a customized launchy.xml file ([http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/code/launchy.txt sample]) with -no-remote to start each profile.  (Don't use it to launch your default profile, at least not with -no-remote).  [http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm#launchy] [http://userstyles.org/styles/13115]
* Use Jason bookmarkbackups file  from your default profile to restore to your test profiles, if you need bookmarks, bookmarklets, or keyword shortcuts.
* Install [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/545 Open Profile Folder] extension at least in your default profile to give you quick access to your Firefox profile data.




[[Category:Profiles]]
[[Category:Profiles]]

Revision as of 05:23, 27 January 2009

This article explains how to use the -no-remote command line option in Firefox 2 and above, so that multiple instances of Firefox can be opened at the same time using separate profiles.

When Firefox is running and you try to open another Firefox process, a new window is opened instead, in the already running process. You can use the -no-remote command line option along with the -P option to select a different profile, to start a new Firefox process that is invisible to the first process. [1] Selecting a different profile from the one used in the first process is necessary because profiles are "locked" when in use.

Important: Never use -no-remote to start the "default" profile (the one that is set to open without asking when you launch Firefox). That's because when you launch Firefox, for example, by clicking a link in your mail program, you will get a Firefox is already running but is not responding message if the default profile is already in use. The solution is to always start the default profile normally and launch all others with -no-remote. Then it will work. [2]

You can use a shortcut to a specific profile to open Firefox using -no-remote. For example, to open a profile named "My Profile" using -no-remote, enter the following in the Target field of a Windows desktop shortcut (adjust the path, if different):

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P "My Profile" -no-remote 

Note: You can also open the Profile Manager with Firefox already running, by using -P -no-remote without including a profile name.

Some Tips on using Multiple Profiles

  • Use Color Toolbar(s) to identify profile | userstyles.org styling to color code your Firefox browser and dialog windows to identify the profile in use. The style is installed, used and managed with the Stylish extension available at addons.
  • [Windows] Create Windows Quick Launch shortcuts
  • [Windows] Use the Launchy extension to open current page in another profile with a customized launchy.xml file (sample) with -no-remote to start each profile. (Don't use it to launch your default profile, at least not with -no-remote). [3] [4]
  • Use Jason bookmarkbackups file from your default profile to restore to your test profiles, if you need bookmarks, bookmarklets, or keyword shortcuts.
  • Install Open Profile Folder extension at least in your default profile to give you quick access to your Firefox profile data.