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I want to be able to have two instances which are completely independent in the sense that I can be working on two separate unrelated projects in different folders without any interference.

Isopycnal Oscillation
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    Very simple, but really useful question... I wouldn't have lost so many days waiting for the input data to be revised, but worked independently on a shadow project based on sample data (projected to a separate folder). – Partha D. Oct 20 '20 at 12:29

4 Answers4

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(Spyder maintainer here) This is easy. You need to go to:

Tools > Preferences > Application

in Spyder 5, or

Tools > Preferences > General

in Spyder 4, click the "Advanced Settings" tab, and deactivate the option called

[ ] Use a single instance

Then every time you start Spyder a new window will be opened. If you want the old behavior back, just activate that option again.

Carlos Cordoba
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  • I deactivated the "use a single instance". When calling Spyder twice from the Gnome launcher, it still jumps to the existing window i.e. I only have a single instance. I have managed however to start a second Spyder instance from the command line. I'm using Spyder 3.3.3 on Debian. – Paul Rougieux Nov 13 '19 at 14:47
  • I think this should work even if some files were common to both projects-- so the other instance would update (or at least prompt to update) the file I changed on one instance ! – Partha D. Oct 20 '20 at 12:31
  • not working for me, my only tool option is "Reset spyder to factory defauls", trying a different path "Python > Preferences > General" does not have the option use a single instance. I am using spyder 4.1.5 with python 3.7 on a mac (osx el capitan). The command line "spyder --new-instance" proposed in the other comment, works for me – Angelo Sajeva Nov 04 '20 at 10:27
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    For anyone using Spyder Version 5, this option is under Tools > Preferences > Application > Advanced settings – Rainfall.NZ Jun 25 '21 at 18:01
70

You can use the --new-instance option as well. Just run

spyder --new-instance
prashanth
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7

Update for Spyder 5.0.3+ (07/2021 onwards)

First, same as Carlos's answer:

Tools > Preferences

But then:

Application > Advanced settings

Then deselect [✔] Use a single instance, so it becomes [] Use a single instance, which will result in a new window opening each time Spyder is launched.

Still working for me in Spyder 5.1.5.

R_Dax
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2

Although clicking on the Spyder icon will not allow you to open two instances, you can open a second instance by simply going to the folder where spyder.py is and running spyder.py from the command line.

Further, you could make an icon for your desktop that simply runs spyder.py from its location. However, I don't know how multiple instances will affect user preferences if Spyder has those.

jeremy
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