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I am looking for a trick in which to open the same app twice. Let me explain.

For example, I have an app called SQLite Database Browser but it can only handle one SQL DB at a time. I would like to start another SQLite DB Browser so I can open another SQL DB file. How do I do that?

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  • I do this with Firefox occasionally by creating multiple browser profiles. OS X then sees each instance of Firefox with a unique profile as a separate application. – Somantra Jul 19 '11 at 18:16
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If you use open from the command line you can pass a parameter to start a new instance:

open -n /Applications/TextEdit.app

Another way is to find the Unix executable in the app bundle and run it:

/Applications/TextEdit.app/Contents/MacOS/TextEdit &
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  • 2
    One could use Automator.app to create a small application that uses this command line to launch a second instance. That would eliminate the need to always type that into a Terminal. – slhck Jul 19 '11 at 20:35
  • @Mark. Excellent. The open -n works great. I haven't tried the Unix executable but I'll keep that in mind. @ slhck. scripting will do the trick. If I need to use the command over and over again, I'll definitely make one. Thanks everybody!!! – okysabeni Jul 20 '11 at 14:46
  • @slhck When using Automator, select "Services" and "Shell Script". Use clover-S to save, and go to keyboard shortcuts, "Services" to find this script and assign it to a shortcut. apple.stackexchange.com/questions/24063/… – Droogans Oct 28 '13 at 15:58
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    just alias it, eg. alias textedit='open -n /Applications/TextEdit.app' – VH-NZZ Jun 3 '15 at 7:17
  • In both: Linux and Windows, I just middle-click the app on the taskbar, or click on it from the app list (about 1-2s depending on the screen resolution and mouse distance to the icon). Having 2 application profiles pointing to the same app is IMO not a good solution: what if I need 3 or 4 instances? Will it take 2 spaces on my taskbar if I use none? Will I have to choose which of the two icons I already have open and which I have to click? Apple have a looooot to learn from KDE taskbar, or even Windows taskbar. – Adrian Maire Aug 23 '19 at 16:17
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I know with CarbonCopyCloner I can make another copy of the application itself and I can open two instances of CCC at the same time. Have you tried something like that?

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  • So, use CCC to create another copy of the SQLite application? – okysabeni Jul 19 '11 at 19:04
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    No @mdgarci was just giving CCC as an example - just copy your app with finder -- but for better way see my answer – mmmmmm Jul 19 '11 at 19:24
  • @Mark Classy example of advertising your answer - but good job on yours. – User that is not a user Jun 18 '18 at 14:51

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