Running Multiple Dropbox Accounts

Dropbox is a Web-based file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc. that uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization.
The Dropbox client enables users to drop any file into a designated folder that is then synced with Dropbox's Internet service and to any other of the user's computers and devices with the Dropbox client. Users may also upload files manually through a web browser.

I've installed nautilus-dropbox version o.6.7-1 from Hadret's Debian PPA.
To use these PPA add these lines to your sources.list ( Unstable ) :

deb http://hadret.rootnode.net/debian/ unstable main
deb-src http://hadret.rootnode.net/debian/ unstable main

Become root, add GPG Key and update :

wget -O - http://hadret.rootnode.net/debian/duckbill.key | apt-key add -
apt-get update

Install nautilus-dropbox ( an extension that integrates
the Dropbox web service with your GNOME Desktop, by displaying the icon overlays and adding dropbox to the right-click menu )

apt-get install nautilus-dropbox

Installation will download and install the dropbox daemon the first time it's run, providing the tray icon, and this is the part that does the actual file-syncing. Three different folders will be added to your home directory : Dropbox , .dropbox and .dropbox-dist, the last one contains the daemon ( closed source ).

If you like to run another Dropbox instance ( with another account ) just run the following commands :

mkdir ~/.dropbox-alt
HOME=$HOME/.dropbox-alt /usr/bin/dropbox start -i

This will issue the initial setup of Dropbox for the ./dropbox-alt folder and download and install the proprietary daemon inside it. Use a new or another account, not the one that is already running. So inside the ./dropbox-alt there will be the three folders Dropbox, .dropbox and .dropbox-dist !

To have it started at login I created a script dropbox-alt :

#!/bin/bash
HOME=$HOME/.dropbox-alt dropbox start

Add the script to the System > Preferences > Startup Applications

Easy enough to repeat the same for yet another account !

Edit Apr 29 2011 Had to add -i at the end of the line, so the line should be :
HOME=$HOME/.dropbox-alt dropbox start -i
Otherwise dropbox did not start....