How to run multiple versions of rstudio (NOT R) on a linux system?

[bd4]

Does anyone know how to install and run multiple versions of rstudio desktop (not R) on a linux system? I haven't been able to find any information about this.

Standard installation methods (such as via the *.deb file) replace the existing installation, which is not what I need.

I think that rstudio relies on some environmental variables, so just installing from a tarball doesn't solve the problem. I haven't found any documentation on this.

Why would I want multiple versions of rstudio? Last year I started having problems with rstudio: very slow response, freeze ups, crashes. I resolved the problem by installing an older version of rstudio, which I'm still using. I'd like to try the current version but I can't afford to be without a working installation. So I need to install a newer version without losing the version I'm currently using.

thanks

[technocrat]

There's always containers, which I considered at one point in Ubuntu, but I decided to down-version to the last working version and forego the latest and greatest.

[bd4]

Containers are a good idea. I'm not using containers so I'd like to find a simpler solution. But if all else fails, I'll try it. Thanks.

[technocrat]

Rethinking it, VMs, not containers, because 8787 port clashing. Open source version does appear to allow changing port

[Juandev]

I am not sure whether containerization like via Bottles would work here and if so, if it provides all features since it needs a shell. What about doing a dual boot and installing the second Rstudio to your second OS on a different partion of a disk?

[technocrat]

Still have the problem that the open-source version doesn't allow the port to be varied.

[Aman9das]

Using distrobox is a simple way to do this.

[technocrat]

I'm not sure that distrobox solves the problem that RStudio open source only exposes the one port.