Matlab on linux starts from terminal, but not from shortcuts or runners

I'm using kde neon with ubuntu 20.04 and running matlab, when I open it from a terminal it starts correctly, but when I make a desktop shortcut or run it in any other way, it shows the initial loading screen, but then it closes.

I installed matlab in a different location than /usr/loca/MATLAB I don't know if that would have any effect

[Javier Ossa]

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux UBUNTU

the installed location is :

/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/...

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux using the command:

nano ~/Desktop/Matlab.desktop

Copy-paste the below lines

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8

Type=Application

Name=MATLAB

Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/MATLAB

Comment=Matlab R2023b

Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/cef_resources/matlab_icon.png

Terminal=true

Save the Desktop Shortcut file by pressingCtr+X and the type Y followed by the EnterKey.

On the Desktop, right-click on the created file desktop icon “MATLAB.Desktop” and select the “Allow Launching” option.

Answer 1

[Madhav Thakker]

Hi Ian,

I understand that you can launch MATLAB from terminal. Make sure that you can launch MATLAB anywhere on your system by executing “matlab” command in terminal.

If not, you can create a symbolic link for the same. As you have installed MATLAB in a different directory, you can use -

sudo ln -s <YOUR_MATLAB_LOCATION>/bin/matlab /usr/local/bin/matlab

Assuming symbolic link is working, in Ubuntu 20.04 you can make a launcher by copying the desktop file from

/usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

to

~/.local/share/applications/matlab.desktop

Your matlab.desktop should have a similar structure -

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/matlab.png
Name=MATLAB R2020a
Comment=Start MATLAB - The Language of Technical Computing
#Uncomment the following line and comment the line after to
#force matlab to use the 32 bits architecture
#Exec=matlab -arch=glnx86 -desktop
Exec=matlab -desktop
Categories=Development;
#Uncomment the following line if you've got several matlab icons in the launcher
#StartupWMClass=com-mathworks-util-PostVMInit

You’ll have to make it executable by running

chmod +x matlab.desktop

You should be able to locate the MATLAB launcher in the dash now.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

[Mason]

This works, but personally I had to add one more step. I had to add "-desktop" after my executable line. so it was like "Exec=/my/path/to/matlab/mablab -desktop" like the example provided.

[Javier Ossa]

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux

the installed location is :

/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/...

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux using the command:

nano ~/Desktop/Matlab.desktop

Copy-paste the below lines

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8

Type=Application

Name=MATLAB

Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/MATLAB

Comment=Matlab R2023b

Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/cef_resources/matlab_icon.png

Terminal=true

Save the Desktop Shortcut file by pressingCtr+X and the type Y followed by the EnterKey.

On the Desktop, right-click on the created file “MATLAB.Desktop” and select the “Allow Launching” option.

Answer 3

[Javier Ossa]

for me works like this:

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux

the installed location is :

/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/...

Create Matlab Desktop Shortcut Linux using the command:

nano ~/Desktop/Matlab.desktop

Copy-paste the below lines

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8

Type=Application

Name=MATLAB

Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/MATLAB

Comment=Matlab R2023b

Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/glnxa64/cef_resources/matlab_icon.png

Terminal=true

Save the Desktop Shortcut file by pressingCtr+X and the type Y followed by the EnterKey.

On the Desktop, right-click on the created file “MATLAB.Desktop” and select the “Allow Launching” option.

[Chenye Zhou]

Do you have mw-matlab.desktop in /home/$USER/.local/share/applications with R2023b? This launcher seems useless but it is shown in the applicaiton menu.

[Chenye Zhou]

If they can create such useless launcher, why not just create the correct launcher by default? Really annoying.

[Chenye Zhou]

Matlab is driving me crazy. I created the desktop file but R2023b won't launch and I can only launch it through the terminal. R2022b's libfreetype.so is causing problem.