How to Run Multiple Skype Instances in Ubuntu

In this note I want to show how you can run several Skype processes in Linux Ubuntu. I have 2 running - work and personal.

First off, all the launchers live in /usr/share/applications/. The default Skype launcher is /usr/share/applications/skype.desktop

By default Skype stores its files in ~/.Skype.

Icon - /usr/share/icons/skype.png

So, armed with this knowledge, let’s set up launching a second Skype in the system.

1. Create a folder in the home directory:

mkdir ~/.Skype2

1. Create the launcher:

nano /usr/share/applications/skype2.desktop

1. Put these lines in it:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=<strong>Additional Skype</strong>
Comment=Skype Internet Telephony
Exec=<strong>skype --dbpath=~/.Skype2</strong>
Icon=skype.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Categories=Network;Application;
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/skype;
X-KDE-Protocols=skype

Pay attention to the Name and Exec values. Name defines the launcher icon’s name in the system menu. Exec defines the launch command.

If you need to launch Skype from the console temporarily, you can create the folder ~/.Skype_temp and run:

skype -dbpath=~/.Skype2_temp

1. Save the file and look for the launch icon in the system menu.