Open multiple Eclipse workspaces on the Mac

How can I open multiple Eclipse workspaces at the same time on the Mac?

On other platforms, I can just launch extra Eclipse instances, but the Mac will not let me open the same application twice. Is there a better way than keeping two copies of Eclipse?

This seems to be the supported native method in OS X:

cd /Applications/eclipse/

open -n Eclipse.app

Be sure to specify the ".app" version (directory); in OS X Mountain Lion erroneously using the symbolic link such as open -n eclipse, might get one GateKeeper stopping access:

> "eclipse" can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer. > > Your security preferences allow installation of only apps from the Mac App Store and identified developers.

Even removing the extended attribute com.apple.quarantine does not fix that. Instead, simply using the ".app" version will rely on your previous consent, or prompt you once:

> "Eclipse" is an application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?

By far the best solution is the OSX Eclipse Launcher presented in http://torkild.resheim.no/2012/08/opening-multiple-eclipse-instances-on.html It can be downloaded in the Marketplace http://marketplace.eclipse.org/content/osx-eclipse-launcher#.UGWfRRjCaHk

I use it everyday and like it very much! To demonstrate the simplicity of usage just take a look at the following image:

EDIT: Milhous's answer seems to be the officially supported way to do this as of 10.5. Earlier version of OS X and even 10.5 and up should still work using the following instructions though.

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1. Open the command line (Terminal)

2. Navigate to your Eclipse installation folder, for instance:

• cd /Applications/eclipse/
• cd /Developer/Eclipse/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse
• cd /Applications/eclipse/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse
• cd /Users/<usernamehere>/eclipse/jee-neon/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS

3. Launch Eclipse: ./eclipse &

This last command will launch eclipse and immediately background the process.

Rinse and repeat to open as many unique instances of Eclipse as you want.

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###Warning

You might have to change the Tomcat server ports in order to run your project in different/multiple Tomcat instances, see Tomcat Server Error - Port 8080 already in use

To make this you need to navigate to the Eclipse.app directory and use the following command:

open -n Eclipse.app

Actually a much better (GUI) solution is to copy the Eclipse.app to e.g. Eclipse2.app and you'll have two Eclipse icons in Dock as well as Eclipse2 in Spotlight. Repeat as necessary.

If the question is how to easily use Eclipse with multiple different workspaces, then you have to use a kludge because shortcuts in OS X do not provide a mechanism for passing command line arguments, for example the "--data" argument that Eclipse takes to specify the workspace. While there may be different reasons to create a duplicate copy of your Eclipse install, doing it for this purpose is, IMNSHO, lame (now you have to maintain multiple eclipse configurations, plugins, etc?).

In any case, here is a workaround. Create the following script in the (single) Eclipse directory (the directory that contains Eclipse.app), and give it a ".command" suffix (e.g. eclipse-workspace2.command) so that you can create an alias from it:

#!/bin/sh
# open, as suggested by Milhous
open -n $(dirname $0)/Eclipse.app --args -data /path/to/your/other/workspace

Now create an alias to that file on your desktop or wherever you want it. You will probably have to repeat this process for each different workspace, but at least it will use the same Eclipse installation.

2018 Update since many answers are no longer valid

OS X Heigh Sierra (10.13) with Eclipse Oxygen

Go to wherever your Eclipse is installed. Right-click -> Show Package Contents -> Contents -> MacOS -> Double-click the executable called eclipse

A terminal window will open and a new instance of eclipse will start.

Note that if you close the terminal window, the new Eclipse instance will be closed also.

To make your life easier, you can drag the executable to your dock for easy access

Instead of copying Eclipse.app around, create an automator that runs the shell script above.

Run automator, create Application.

choose Utilities->Run shell script, and add in the above script (need full path to eclipse)

Then you can drag this to your Dock as a normal app.

Repeat for other workspaces.

You can even simply change the icon - https://discussions.apple.com/message/699288?messageID=699288&#699288

One another way is just to duplicate only the "Eclipse.app" file instead of making multiple copies of entire eclipse directory. Right-Click on the "Eclipse.app" file and click the duplicate option to create a duplicate.

If you're like me, you probably have terminal running most of the time as well. You could just create an alias in /Users//.bash_profile like this alias eclipse='open -n path_to_eclipse.app'

then all you have to do is just open the terminal and type eclipse.

Based on a previous answer that helped me, but different directory:

cd /Applications/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS
./eclipse &

Thanks

You can create an AppleScript file to open Eclipse with a given workspace. You can even save the AppleScript file as an Application, which is equivalent to creating an alias with arguments in Windows OS.

Open Script Editor and type the following:

do shell script "open '/path/to/your/Eclipse/installation' -n --args -data /path/to/your/workspace"

For instance:

do shell script "open '/Applications/Eclipse.app' -n --args -data /MyWorkspaces/Personal" 

Press the Run button to check it's working.

This script can be saved as such, but I prefer to save it as an Application. That way I can customize the icon by copying the *.icns icon from the original Eclipse.app bundle to the script application bundle.

To open an App folder, use the "see contents" contextual menu option. It should look like this:

Where "main.scpt" is the AppleScript file and "applet.icns" is the icon from the original Eclipse bundle.

I found this solution a while back, can't remember where but it still seems to work well for me.

Create a copy of Eclipse.app for each workspace you want to work in (for this example ProjectB.app), then open ProjectB.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse.ini and add these two lines at the beginning of the file:

-data
/Users/eric/Workspaces/projectb

... substituting where your workspace is located. When you launch ProjectB.app it will automatically start with that workspace instead of prompting for a location, and you should be able to run it at the same time as other Eclipse instances with no problem.

If you want to open multiple workspaces and you are not a terminal guy, just locate the Unix executable file in your eclipse folder and click it.

The path to the said file is

> Eclipse(folder) -> eclipse(right click) -> Show package > Contents -> Contents -> MacOs -> eclipse(unix executable file)

Clicking on this executable will open a separate instance of eclipse.

In Terminal simply paste below line and hit enter ..

/Applications/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse ; exit;

Launch terminal and run open -n /Applications/Eclipse.app for a new instance.

A more convenient way:

1. Create an executable script as mentioned above:

   #!/bin/sh

   cd /Applications/Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.6

   open -n Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.6.app

2. In you current instance of Flashbuilder or Eclipse, add a new external tool configuration. This is the button next to the debug/run/profile buttons on your toolbar. In that dialog, click on "Program" and add a new one. Give it the name you want and in the "Location" field, put the path to the script from step 1:

   /Users/username/bin/flashbuilder

3. You can stop at step 2, but I prefer adding a custom icon to the toolbar. I use a the Quick Launch plugin to do that:

   http://sourceforge.net/projects/quicklaunch/files/

4. After adding the plugin, go to "Run"->"Organize Quick Lauches" and add the external tool config from step 2. Then you can configure the icon for it.

5. After you save that, you'll see the icon in your toolbar. Now you can just click it every time you want a new Flashbuilder/Eclipse instance.

You can run multiple instances of Eclipse by creating a pseudonym for Eclipse application in it's folder and using it for running new Eclipse instance

Lets try downloading this in your eclipse on Mac you will be able to open multiple eclipse at a time Link

Name : macOS Eclipse Launcher

Steps :

1. Go to eclipse Market place.
2. Search for "macOS Eclipse Launcher" and install.
3. It will restart .
4. Now under file menu check for open option > there you will find other projects to open also at same time .

Window -> New Window

This opens a new window and you can then open another project in it. You can use this as a workaround hopefully.

It actually allows you to work in same workspace.