ProfileSwitcher

This extension makes easier to use more profiles in Firefox and Thunderbird.
It adds also in the File menu two new items to start another profile or the profile manager. From the extension's preferences, you can choose what to do when you launch another profile (close the one in use, don't close it, ask every time - If you choose to run the profile manager in safe-mode, the current profile will be always closed).

Moreover it can add the name of the profile in the titlebar or as icon in the statusbar.

Notes:
- from the 0.1.3 version, it works properly also if you install it globally in the program directory;
- 0.3 version or higher, compatible with Firefox/Thunderbird 2 or higher, works properly on every operative system, without limits, and doesn't use launcher scripts;
- from 0.3.3 version, on Thunderbird, profile's name is added also in addressbook window.

At the present the extension is localized in italian, english, german, french, polish, portoguese, hungarian, dutch, swedish, chinese, serbian, romanian. Some locales could be not complete. If you are interested in traslating the extension in other languages, please do it through Babelzilla project

Note for firefox-3.5 - ubuntu version - users: ubuntu users that have firefox-3.5.X packaged by ubuntu, could need to create this symbolic link:

ln -s /usr/lib/firefox-3.5.X/firefox-3.5 /usr/lib/firefox-3.5.X/firefox

where X is the number of firefox subversion.

Changelog 0.3.3 version:
- on Thunderbird profile's name is added also in addressbook window;
- correct handling of profiles with similar names;
- support also for Linux distros using "firefox.sh" and "thunderbird.sh" as name for program launcher script;
Changelog 0.3.4 version:
- in the menu profiles are now numbered
- fixed some bugs;
- possibility to refresh list, if there have been changes about profiles while program is running;
Changelog 0.3.4.1 version:
- compatibility with Debian versions (icedove, iceweasel);
Changelog 0.3.5 version:
- new localizations;
- option to have profile name in a statusbar panel (just Firefox);
- option to open the current webpage in new profile (just Firefox);
Changelog 1.0 version:
- same version for Firefox and Thunderbird;
- new icon for status bar, with context menu;
- possibility to have the icon on the right or on the left;
Changelog 1.0.1 version:
- fixed a bug with Firefox 3.5;
- italian locale updated;
Changelog 1.0.2 version:
- added support for Icecat;
- added turkish locale;
Changelog 1.0.3 version:
- fixed a bug with path having not-ascii characters;
Changelog 1.0.4 version:
- fixed some bugs, notably with profiles' names with not-ascii characters;
- on TB the profile name has been moved on the beginning of the titlebar;
Changelog 1.0.5 version:
- compatibility with Firefox 3.6;
Changelog 1.0.6 version:
- fixed a bug in insert profile's name in titlebar on Thunderbrid;
- fixed the bug that caused the error NS_ERROR_ALREADY_INITIALIZED on Firefox 3.6;
Changelog 1.0.7 version:
- compatibility with Thunderbird 3.1;
Changelog 1.1 version:
- option to run the profile manager in "safe-mode";
- added swedish and chinese locales;
Changelog 1.1.1 version:
- better performance when use chooses to close the current profile;
Changelog 1.2 version:
- compatibility with Firefox 4;
Changelog 1.2.1 version:
- menus are now present also in compact menu of Firefox 4;
- fixed a bug about popup style on Firefox 4 for Windows;
Changelog 1.2.2 version:
- compatibility with Firefox 5 and Thunderbird 5;
Changelog 1.3 version:
- the extension is now available on A.M.O.;
Changelog 1.4 version:
- added a button to manage the profiles from the toolbar;
- fixed some minor bugs;
Changelog 1.5 version:
- added serbian localization;
- possibility to set a custom path for the executable file (useful if you use not-standard versions of Firefox/Thunderbird);
- fix for anomalous behaviour with links from profiles launched after the first one (the extension must be installed in all profiles);
- hidden preference "extensions.profileswitcher.arguments_charset", to use a specific charset encoding when the default settings don't work and you've trouble to launch profiles with names with not-ascii characters;
Changelog 1.5.0.1 version:
- removed the unsafe function "eval";
Changelog 1.5.0.2 version:
- fixed a bug about the profile name encoding;
- fixed a bug about restarting profiles;
Changelog 1.5.0.3 version:
- compatibility with Firefox 21 and higher;
- some changes in the behaviour of preferences about icons;
Changelog 1.5.0.4 version:
- better behaviour with links from profiles launched after the first one (the extension must be installed in all profiles);
Changelog 1.5.0.5 version:
- compatibility with Thunderbird 24;
- when it's possible, the parameter "new-instance" is used instead "no-remote";
Changelog 1.5.0.6 version:
- "new-instance" parameter is disabled by default because of bug 918681
Changelog 1.6.0.2 version:
- option to have icons of different colours;
- option to have a shortcut to run the profile manager;
- option to restart the profile enabling the log of the connections on Thunderbird;
- possibility to open the links with another profile on Firefox;
- more options available in the preferences panel;
- some minor bugs fixed;
Changelog 1.6.0.3 version:
- fixed a bug in Options panel;
- added serbian locale;
Changelog 1.6.1 version:
- better autodetect of the executable file;
- new icons set (thanks to Josef Sahlberg);
- option to have the profile name in the titlebar also on Firefox;
- added romanian locale;
- the default profile is highlighted in bold (the default profile is launched when you run the program without specifying a profile. To change it, run the profile manager and choose the profile you want as default);
Changelog 1.7 version:
- by clicking the icon you can launch directly a profile (set it in Options panel);
- profiles are listed in alphabetic order (you can revert this behaviour in Options panel);
Changelog 1.7.1 version:
- fixed a layout bug on Firefox;
- fixed missing item menu on Thunderbird;
- added sl-SI local;
Changelog 1.7.2 version:
- fixed a bug that broke the extension, upgrading from 1.6 version, on some platforms;
Changelog 1.7.6.1 version:
- fixed compatibility with latest versions of Firefox.

Download ProfileSwitcher page on the official Mozilla Addons Website


If you still use Firefox/Thunderbird 1.5, you must use the following versions, not fully developed anymore:

Download ProfileSwitcher - (for Thunderbird 1.5) version 0.2.1
Download ProfileSwitcher - (for Firefox 1.5) version 0.2.1

Note: with 0.2.1 version on Windows 95/98/ME in the menu you'll have just the item to launch the profile manager.
Thanks to Frederic Hemberger for his help with the Mac OSX launcher script.