How to open two Skype accounts on Linux? [ Edited ]

[eyad]

There is a way to open two Skyoe accouts in Windows by run it as "path /secondary"

How to do the same in Linux, I use Ububntu x64

[rajeshsankaran]

It works for me. Just start another skype instance, by either clicking on the icon or say by using the RUN window (Alt+F2). The new instance will start, but will report that another instance is running and will refuse to signin using the same user name. Now, change the username and password in the second instance and you should be fine. I have been able to do this on a Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS 64bit machine. Skype will only remember the last of the two username+password combinations for auto sign-on the next time you start skype.

[elicoidal]

After the automatic update today from v2 to v4 (first update in 4 years ), this trick is not possible anymore in Ubuntu.
the /secundary option seems not working neither.
Help is welcome

[VolkerG]

I found a solution. Skype is saving the data in ~/.Skype directory. ~ means your home directory. You can run a further skype4.0 session using a further data directory.

e.g. from a bash terminal:

prepartion:

> cd

> mkdir .Skype2

call of second skype session:

> skype --dbpath=~/.Skype2 &

After that works, you can add an icon or menu entry in your Window manager to simplify the start...

[elicoidal]

sudo su -c "nohup skype && exit"

is as well possible: you can even close the terminal later

Not really satisfactory but it works

[VolkerG]

Well, you are changing the linux account to run the second skype session with su. Without an account as argument, su switches to root. So your examples runs skype as root.

I'm sorry, but I think this is a very bad idea - regarding security...

Assuming you have a second linux user account XXX, the following should do as well

sudo -u XXX skype &

[niver_ag]

Nonononono

Skype with root previliges -- toooooooooo dangerous!

[gvschroder]

Alt+F2

skype --secondary

[megasponsor]

skype --secondary works super even more accounts will do.

Namaste Gerrit