This article article will help you troubleshoot startup issues that can stop Mari from launching correctly. The first section lists common specific issues and their resolutions, while at the end we provide general troubleshooting tools in case your issue isn't directly covered in the first section.
COMMON CAUSES OF LAUNCH ISSUES
Directory permission for config files
Navigate to your Mari config folder and ensure you have full permissions for the TheFoundry folder. The method of changing permissions can vary between OS:
On Windows it is easier to use the File Explorer to select the .mari folder in your home directory, and use the folder's Properties window to grant full permissions to your user account, making sure to include all subfolders and files.
On Linux and Mac systems this is done best through the chmod command.
Intel HD Graphics Card
Intel HD graphics are not supported by Mari. You will require an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with the latest drivers. More details for system requirements can be found here.
Mari 7 has also been known to crash on launch on some computers that use two Nvidia graphics cards. If you have this kind of dual GPU setup, you should try disabling one of them for your entire system (or physically removing it), and check whether this resolves your issue.
10th or 11th generation Intel CPU
There is currently a known issue with Mari and 10/11th generation Intel processors, which can cause crashes during launch or when loading projects. This can be prevented by setting the following environment variable:
OPENSSL_ia32cap=~0x200000200000000
Further information on this known issue and full instructions for applying the workaround can be found in the article linked below:
Mari 5 upgraded from Python 2.7 to Python 3.7. Older pipelines are built around the use of Python 2.7 and may be using the PYTHONHOME environment variable to point to a specific Python install. If this environment variable is pointing to an invalid directory or an out-of-date version of Python, it might cause a crash or disable some features. Unsetting the environment variable before the launch of Mari will solve those issues as Mari will use its own Python install.
Firstly, please confirm that your computer fully supports Mari by comparing your setup to our requirements. You can find our requirements here: Mari’s System Requirements
Check the MariLog.txt file
The MariLog.txt file reports everything about what the application is processing during a session, including what is happening during startup.
Try to launch Mari, let it crash/freeze, and then open the MariLog.txt file. Have a read for any useful information, especially in the last few lines. If Mari crashed, there may be a crash report. If Mari froze, the last few lines will indicate what Mari got stuck on.
Safer Mode and leftover Mari components from a previous install.
If you've tried all the above, you tried reinstalling Mari, and the problem persists, it may be that your reinstall isn't a fresh version of Mari. This is because when the software is uninstalled, some components may not be removed. So if the problem is with one of these components, and Mari reuses them when it gets reinstalled, the issue will persist. This is particularly relevant for the config files, so you could even try removing the config folder without reinstalling Mari, and checking where it resolves your issue.
Before uninstalling Mari, safer mode can also be attempted, as it will replicate a fresh install of Mari. This should confirm whether uninstalling Mari or removing one of its additional components might resolve your issue. To launch Mari in safer mode, please refer to the following article: Q100022: Using safer mode to launch Mari as a fresh install
SUMMARY
COMMON CAUSES OF LAUNCH ISSUES
Directory permission for config files
Navigate to your Mari config folder and ensure you have full permissions for the TheFoundry folder. The method of changing permissions can vary between OS:
chmodcommand.Intel HD Graphics Card
Intel HD graphics are not supported by Mari. You will require an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with the latest drivers. More details for system requirements can be found here.
Computers with two graphics cards
If your computer has an integrated GPU (typically Intel) and a discrete GPU (typically Nvidia) it may be using the Intel GPU to launch Mari, which is unsupported. To resolve this issue, please refer to the following article:
Q100040: Assigning your Nvidia GPU to Mari on Windows to prevent launch issues
Mari 7 has also been known to crash on launch on some computers that use two Nvidia graphics cards. If you have this kind of dual GPU setup, you should try disabling one of them for your entire system (or physically removing it), and check whether this resolves your issue.
10th or 11th generation Intel CPU
There is currently a known issue with Mari and 10/11th generation Intel processors, which can cause crashes during launch or when loading projects. This can be prevented by setting the following environment variable:
OPENSSL_ia32cap=~0x200000200000000Further information on this known issue and full instructions for applying the workaround can be found in the article linked below:
Q100573: Katana, Mari, Modo and Nuke can fail to launch with a 10th generation (Ice Lake) or newer Intel CPUs
PYTHONHOMEEnvironment VariableMari 5 upgraded from Python 2.7 to Python 3.7. Older pipelines are built around the use of Python 2.7 and may be using the
PYTHONHOMEenvironment variable to point to a specific Python install. If this environment variable is pointing to an invalid directory or an out-of-date version of Python, it might cause a crash or disable some features. Unsetting the environment variable before the launch of Mari will solve those issues as Mari will use its own Python install.To learn how to unset environment variables on your machine, please review the following article:
Q100127: How to delete or unset environment variables
TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS FOR OTHER LAUNCH ISSUES
Confirm that your computer supports Mari
Firstly, please confirm that your computer fully supports Mari by comparing your setup to our requirements. You can find our requirements here:
Mari’s System Requirements
Check the MariLog.txt file
The MariLog.txt file reports everything about what the application is processing during a session, including what is happening during startup.
Try to launch Mari, let it crash/freeze, and then open the MariLog.txt file. Have a read for any useful information, especially in the last few lines. If Mari crashed, there may be a crash report. If Mari froze, the last few lines will indicate what Mari got stuck on.
The following article provides more information on the MariLog.txt and where to find it:
Article: Mari's Log and Config files and their default file paths
Safer Mode and leftover Mari components from a previous install.
If you've tried all the above, you tried reinstalling Mari, and the problem persists, it may be that your reinstall isn't a fresh version of Mari. This is because when the software is uninstalled, some components may not be removed. So if the problem is with one of these components, and Mari reuses them when it gets reinstalled, the issue will persist. This is particularly relevant for the config files, so you could even try removing the config folder without reinstalling Mari, and checking where it resolves your issue.
To identify all folders and other content that Mari uses, and remove them as needed, please follow the steps in the following article:
Q100138: Uninstalling Mari and all of its associated content
Before uninstalling Mari, safer mode can also be attempted, as it will replicate a fresh install of Mari. This should confirm whether uninstalling Mari or removing one of its additional components might resolve your issue. To launch Mari in safer mode, please refer to the following article:
Q100022: Using safer mode to launch Mari as a fresh install
FURTHER HELP
Q100090: Information to send to Support when reporting a Mari issue
For more information on how to open a Support request, please refer to this article:
Q100064: How to raise a support ticket