Q100022: Using safer mode to launch Mari as a fresh install

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SUMMARY

This article describes Mari's different safe modes, their use cases, and how to run Mari in one of these modes by using one of the startup flags.

 

HOW THE SAFE MODES WORK

Mari includes --safe and --safer startup modes with different levels, which can help diagnose problems when running Mari.

When Mari runs in these modes it will run as if it were a fresh install version without your custom settings, 3rd party plug-ins, and other personalisations, depending on the level. When troubleshooting, this can help establish whether a problem is being caused by something the user changed in Mari, or if it's being caused by a core Mari component. Please note that this will not permanently reset Mari to its fresh install form, as once you reopen Mari without using a safe mode startup flag, you will revert to having all your user-defined configurations, plugins, etc. 

These safe modes run a number of options, so if you prefer, you can choose to run a specific safe mode level rather than those grouped under --safe or --safer. To do this, type the given number for the option after the --safe command. Please be aware that these work in an "up to and including" fashion. For example, if you use --safe=3 you will also run --safe=1 and --safe=2 (effectively, operating the same as running the --safe command).

 

The individual safe mode options are:

--safe=1  Disables startup Python scripts.

--safe=2  Disables user custom plug-ins.

--safe=3  Bypasses user Python libraries and is equivalent to --safe

--safe=4  Bypasses user settings.

--safe=5  Bypasses user environment variables and is equivalent to --safer

--safe=6  Disables any Python scripts in the Mari installation that have been tampered with.

--safe=7  Disables any Node Graph nodes in the Mari installation that have been tampered with.

--safe=8  Forces the nuke-default OCIO colorspace configuration.

 

 

KNOWING WHICH LEVEL TO USE

If you have been asked to run safer mode by Foundry's Support team, please use level 5 as the initial test, equivalent to --safer. If the issue still occurs at level 5, please also try --safer=8.

If, for example, --safer=8 resolves the issue, you can then launch Mari at each safe level to identify at which point the issue stops happening. Then, by referring to the above description of each level, you will know exactly what is causing your problem. For example, if the issue is resolved at --safer=4, you will know that the issue is related to a Mari setting that isn't at its default.

If you are unsure whether you should run some of these debugging modes, please get in touch with Support for advice.

 

 

LAUNCH INSTRUCTIONS

Safer mode is recommended for most troubleshooting scenarios, so we'll use it as an example. You can launch Mari in safer mode from a command prompt or terminal with the --safer flag. The exact commands using Mari's default install location for each OS are below, if you have Mari installed in a different directory, please change the file paths accordingly:


Windows:
Run the following in a Command Prompt:
"C:\Program Files\Mari7.0v2\Bundle\bin\Mari7.0v2.exe" --safer

 

Linux:
Run the following in a Terminal:
/usr/local/Mari7.0v2/mari --safer

 

MacOS X:
Open a Terminal from Applications > Utilities and run the following command:
/Applications/Mari4.7v7/Contents/MacOS/Mari4.7v7 --safer

 

Note: To run a mode other than --safer, replace --safer in the prompts above with the relevant mode, such as --safe=8.

 

If you'd like to have any of the safe modes more readily accessible for frequent use, you can also create a shortcut that includes a startup flag. For example, Mari's shortcut on Windows can be duplicated, and then the flag added through the Properties window:

 

 

 

FURTHER READING

Another startup flag that is useful during troubleshooting is Verbose mode, which you can learn more about in the following article:
Q100589: How to launch Mari with Verbose Output to aid troubleshooting

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