Invoking Instances of the IDE

MPLAB X IDE requires that each instance has its own user directory. Therefore, preferences that are set or plugins that are added to one instance will not be reflected in another instance.

In order to invoke multiple instances, launch the IDE with the –-userdir option and specify a directory.

Window OS

Create a shortcut with the –-userdir option. For example, on Windows 7 OS:

  1. 1.Right click on the desktop and select New>Shortcut.
  2. 2.Browse to the installed (default) MPLAB X IDE executable:
 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microchip\MPLABX\vx.xx\mplab_platform\
bin\mplab_ide.exe where vx.xx is the MPLAB X IDE version.
  3. 3.At the end of that line, type the location of the user directory. You can either place your directory under the default location for this type of MPLAB X IDE information:
 --userdir “C:\Users\MyFiles\AppData\Roaming\.mplab_ide\
dev\anydir”
 or you can place it where ever you like:
--userdir anydir
  4. 4.Click OK.

Linux OS

The installed version, initiated without any parameters (clicking on the desktop icon), will run with a user directory of $(HOME)/.mplab_ide. To change the user directory, run the $InstallationDir/mplab_platform/bin/mplab_ide shell script, passing the argument --userid anydir. For example, to run MPLAB X IDE in two different instances:

$ /opt/microchip/mplabx/vx.xx/mplab_platform/bin/mplab_ide --userdir ~/.anydir1 &
$ /opt/microchip/mplabx/vx.xx/mplab_platform/bin/mplab_ide --userdir ~/.anydir2 &

where vx.xx is the MPLAB X IDE version.

You can create desktop icons that have the user ID embedded, too.

Mac OS

Open a Shell window and type the command line listed below to execute your installation of MPLAB X IDE in an alternate user directory. You can either place your directory under the default location for this type of MPLAB X IDE information:

$/bin/sh /Applications/microchip/mplabx/vx.xx/mplab_ide.app/Contents/
Resources/mplab_platform/bin/mplab_ide --userdir "${HOME}/Library/
Application Support/mplab_ide/dev/anydir"

or you can place it wherever you like:


$/bin/sh /Applications/microchip/mplabx/vx.xx/mplab_ide.app/Contents/
Resources/mplab_platform/bin/mplab_ide --userdir anydir