It can often be useful to have multiple Firefox browsers open at the same time. Particularly for testing web sites or any sort of web development. Or even just so you can be logged into two sites at the same time with different accounts.
Firefox provides such a feature with the -no-remote switch. The first step is to create multiple Firefox profiles. To do this, launch Firefox with the -ProfileManager switch.
On Windows click Start > Run then:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -ProfileManager
On *nix launch the command:
firefox -ProfileManager
Then create a new profile. If you want to make a copy of your existing profile, simply create the new profile, then copy the current profile directory to the new profile directory.
Now you’re ready to launch Firefox with the -no-remote switch. The trick is that you need to select your second profile when you launch your second instance. So start Firefox as normal, then launch a second browser.
On Windows click Start > Run then:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -P "secondprofilename"
On *nix launch the command:
firefox -no-remote -P secondprofilename
Bingo, now you should have two separate Firefox windows, each running independently of each other. If you click on links in another program, they will probably go whichever Firefox window you opened first. Enjoy. More info.
Just what I was looking for. I added the no-remote switch and now it works, only problem is, it still continues to load the already loaded profile in the second instance as well…
@thunderror: I’m not sure what you mean. It should load different profiles in each instance. As far as I’m aware, you can’t load the same profile in two instances simultaneously.
Very helpful, works like a charm. A second instance of Firefox in my startup menu now opens Craigslist searches for all items I’m patiently waiting to find at bargain prices…
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Thanks, I was actually searching a way to launch firefox instance from remote system (on Linux through SSH connection with X Windows forwarding) but when I had firefox already running locally it would detect firefox running on same display and made remote call to the locally running instance and just open new window (or profilemanager of local systems firefox if that parameter was used.
I already knew -ProfileManager but what really helped me in your article was the no-remote parameter. Thank you!