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Overview

Obsidian Portable supports various command-line arguments that control application behavior, data locations, and advanced features. These arguments are passed through the PortableApps.com launcher.

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Obsidian Command-Line Arguments

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—user-data-dir

The primary argument used by Obsidian Portable to ensure portability. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --user-data-dir="path/to/data"
Usage in Obsidian Portable: Configured in App/AppInfo/Launcher/ObsidianPortable.ini: 
[Launch]
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData"
Purpose:
  • Specifies where Obsidian stores its user data (cache, settings, vault configurations)
  • Ensures all data is contained within the portable directory structure
  • Automatically updated by the launcher when the portable app is moved
Default Value: 
ObsidianPortable/Data/ObsidianAppData
The --user-data-dir argument is critical for portability. Without it, Obsidian would store data in the system’s AppData directory, defeating the purpose of a portable installation.

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—disable-gpu

Disables GPU hardware acceleration. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --disable-gpu
When to Use:
  • Running on systems with incompatible or outdated graphics drivers
  • Experiencing rendering issues or crashes related to GPU
  • Using Obsidian via Remote Desktop or VNC
  • Running in virtual machines with limited graphics support
How to Enable: Modify ObsidianPortable.ini: 
[Launch]
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData" --disable-gpu
Disabling GPU acceleration may reduce performance for graphics-intensive features like Canvas and graph view.

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—no-sandbox

Disables the Chromium sandbox. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --no-sandbox
When to Use:
  • Running in certain restricted environments
  • Compatibility with older systems
  • Troubleshooting launch issues
Security Note:
The --no-sandbox flag reduces security by disabling process isolation. Only use this if absolutely necessary and understand the security implications.

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—enable-features / —disable-features

Enable or disable specific Chromium features. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --enable-features=feature1,feature2
Obsidian.exe --disable-features=feature3,feature4
Common Use Cases: 
# Enable specific hardware acceleration features
--enable-features=VaapiVideoDecoder

# Disable specific features causing issues
--disable-features=NetworkService

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—force-device-scale-factor

Override the display scaling factor. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --force-device-scale-factor=1.5
When to Use:
  • High-DPI displays with scaling issues
  • Force specific zoom levels for better readability
  • Testing UI at different scale factors
Example Values:
  • 1.0 - 100% scale (default)
  • 1.25 - 125% scale
  • 1.5 - 150% scale
  • 2.0 - 200% scale

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—allow-file-access-from-files

Allows file:// URLs to access other file:// URLs. Syntax: 
Obsidian.exe --allow-file-access-from-files
When to Use:
  • Enabling certain local file operations in custom plugins
  • Development and testing scenarios

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PortableApps.com Launcher Arguments

The PortableApps.com launcher (ObsidianPortable.exe) accepts its own arguments.

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Standard Launch

ObsidianPortable.exe
Launches Obsidian normally using the configured settings.

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Passing Arguments Through the Launcher

Arguments after the launcher are passed to Obsidian: 
ObsidianPortable.exe --disable-gpu
This combines the configured --user-data-dir with the additional --disable-gpu argument.

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Advanced Configuration Examples

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Example 1: Disable GPU for Compatibility

Scenario: Running on older hardware or via Remote Desktop Configuration (ObsidianPortable.ini): 
[Launch]
ProgramExecutable=Obsidian.exe
ProgramExecutable64=Obsidian.exe
ProgramExecutableARM64=Obsidian.exe
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData" --disable-gpu
DirectoryMoveOK=yes
SupportsUNC=yes

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Example 2: High-DPI Display Optimization

Scenario: 4K display with scaling issues Configuration: 
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData" --force-device-scale-factor=1.5

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Example 3: Multiple Arguments for Troubleshooting

Scenario: Debugging issues in a restricted environment Configuration: 
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData" --disable-gpu --no-sandbox --enable-logging
This configuration reduces security and should only be used temporarily for troubleshooting.

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Example 4: Custom User Data Location

Scenario: Store app data in a different location (e.g., encrypted volume) Configuration: 
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="E:\SecureData\ObsidianAppData"
Using absolute paths defeats portability. This is only useful for specialized setups where the drive letter is guaranteed to remain constant.

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Environment Variables

The PortableApps.com launcher supports environment variables in the configuration:

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Available Variables

VariableDescriptionExample Value
%PAL:DataDir%Data directoryE:\ObsidianPortable\Data
%PAL:Drive%Current driveE:
%PAL:AppDir%App directoryE:\ObsidianPortable\App
%PAL:PackageDir%Package rootE:\ObsidianPortable

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Using Environment Variables

CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData" --app-path="%PAL:AppDir%"

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Command-Line Vault Opening

Obsidian supports opening specific vaults from the command line.

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Open Specific Vault

ObsidianPortable.exe obsidian://open?vault=MyVault

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Open Specific File

ObsidianPortable.exe obsidian://open?vault=MyVault&file=Note.md

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URI Scheme

Obsidian uses the obsidian:// URI scheme for deep linking: 
obsidian://action?parameter1=value1&parameter2=value2
Common Actions:
  • open - Open vault or file
  • search - Open search with query
  • new - Create new note
Examples: 
obsidian://open?vault=WorkNotes

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Batch File Automation

Create batch files for common launch configurations.

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Basic Launch Script

launch-obsidian.bat
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
start ObsidianPortable.exe

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Launch with GPU Disabled

launch-safe-mode.bat
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
start ObsidianPortable.exe --disable-gpu --no-sandbox

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Launch Specific Vault

launch-work-vault.bat
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
start ObsidianPortable.exe obsidian://open?vault=WorkVault

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Advanced Launch with Logging

launch-debug.bat
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
set OBSIDIAN_LOG=1
start ObsidianPortable.exe --enable-logging --log-level=0

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Troubleshooting with Arguments

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Issue: Rendering Problems

Try: 
ObsidianPortable.exe --disable-gpu

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Issue: Slow Performance

Try: 
ObsidianPortable.exe --disable-hardware-acceleration=false

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Issue: Launch Failures

Try: 
ObsidianPortable.exe --no-sandbox --disable-gpu

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Issue: High-DPI Scaling

Try: 
ObsidianPortable.exe --force-device-scale-factor=1.25

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Best Practices

Test Before Committing

Test command-line arguments by running them manually before modifying ObsidianPortable.ini. This allows easy reversal if something goes wrong.

Document Custom Configurations

Keep a text file documenting any custom arguments you’ve added and why. This helps when troubleshooting or upgrading.

Preserve Portability

Avoid using absolute paths in arguments unless absolutely necessary. Use environment variables like %PAL:DataDir% instead.

Security First

Only use security-reducing arguments (like --no-sandbox) in controlled environments where you understand the risks.

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