Can't type tilde ~In MATLAB 2023a

I'm on Ubuntu 23.04 and MATLAB 2023a. I can type tilde in all other programs, but it does not work in MATLAB. Only a blank space is generated. On my keyboard I use AltGr + " to generate tilde. It works to type other special characters in MATLAB such as | and ± using AltGr. At matlab startup I get Warning: X does not support locale en_DK.UTF-8 but after googling it does not seem to be related to this problem. It worked in MATLAB 2022b.

I realize it might have to do with Ubuntu 23.04 which is in beta, but any troubleshooting tips would be appreciated.

BW

Martin

[Adam Danz]

Please contact tech support and include instructions how to reproduce the problem.

[Victor]

Same problem with MatlabR2024a

The problem is solved by running matlab under sudo privilegies: sudo matlab, which of course is not recommended...

What a mess...

Answer 1

[Riccardo Scorretti]

Dear Martin,

I have a similar problem with the key ^. By all evidence Antonio is right: the problem is with the uncorrect handling of dead keys.

On my system (Linux Fedora / Matlab 2023a) I could find a work around by changing the keyboard setting from "Français (variant)" to "Français (sans touches mortes)". That is: from the system menu, modify the keyboard setting so as to select a variant with no dead keys.

My best

[Andreas]

you are a life-saver!

Answer 2

[Antonio Sala]

Maybe you are hitting the 2023a dead keys bug in non-English locales?

https://es.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/100994 %an old bug that seems to have a comeback

https://es.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/3489-dead-keys-when-using-the-swiss-fr-keyboard

https://es.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1933955-cannot-type-symbols-on-dead-keys-e-g-to-write-or

I contacted techincal support and they said they upstreamed the issue to developers... but R2023a Update1 does not fix the issue for me...

[Bernt Nilsson]

Nor does R2023b Update 1 for me...

[Douglas]

Same Problem here with Fedora 39 Matlab R2023b. Spanish keyboard. Dead keys not working.

[Fredrik Qwarfort]

Same problem with both R2022b and 2023b and swedish keyboard. ~ and ^ is not working.

Answer 3

[Naren]

Hello Martin,

It's possible that MATLAB 2023a on Ubuntu 23.04 beta does not have the proper key mapping for the tilde character. You can attempt the following troubleshooting advice:

1. Verify Ubuntu's Keyboard options. Verify the key mapping for tilde and that your keyboard's layout is set properly.
2. Try an alternative key combination. For instance, you could try using the tilde key on your keyboard (if it has one) or an alternative key combination, like AltGr + N.
3. Verify your MATLAB settings. Verify that there are no conflicts with the key combination you are using to create the tilde by going to Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. You can also try entering "matlab -r" in a terminal window to reset your MATLAB preferences to their preset values.
4. Try MATLAB in a new window manager or desktop environment. There might be a problem with the desktop environment you are currently using.

Here are some documentation that might help you

• http://customize%20keyboard%20shortcuts%20-%20matlab%20%26%20simulink%20%28mathworks.com%29
• Ubuntu Documentation on keyboard input methods
• Linux Keyboard Configuration

Hope this resolves your issue.