What are symbolic links, and why does the MATLAB installer ask if I want to create them?

I would like to know what symbolic links are, and the MATLAB installer asks if I want to create them.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

In the Unix architecture, symbolic links point to another file / script / program, such as a shortcut does in the Windows architecture. The reason the MATLAB installer offers to install them is because the /bin and /usr/bin directories are in the system path, while the MATLAB directory is not.

The /bin and /usr/bin directories contain common system programs, as well as links to other programs, so if you type a command such as 'ifconfig' from anywhere, it will check those directories (and others in the path) first.

This is convenient for starting MATLAB from any directory; if the links are installed, you do not have to change to the MATLAB directory in order to start MATLAB. Keep in mind you need to be running the installer as 'root' to install the symbolic links.

In order to manually create the symbolic link, browse to the /usr/local/bin/ folder and run the following command:

 ln -s $MATLAB/bin/matlab matlab

where $MATLAB is the MATLAB installation directory.

[Royi Avital]

When one installs MATLAB on linux the insatller create Symbolic Link in the `usr/local/bin` folder. Where is the source of it?

How can I change the version it opens (Let's say from R2017b to R2017a)?

Thank You.

[Walter Roberson]

ls -ld /usr/local/bin/matlab

You will see the destination listed. You can

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/matlab
sudo ln -s Full_path_of_whereever_2017a_lives /usr/local/bin/matlab

Full_path_of_whereever_2017a_lives should the old content you saw listed for /usr/local/bin/matlab except with 2017b replaced by 2017a

[Walter Roberson]

I recommend that you put the following in your ~/.bash_profile

alias matlab="/Applications/MATLAB_R2018a.app/bin/matlab -nojvm -nodesktop"

Once it is there, any new interactive shells for that user will allow you to type

matlab

to invoke MATLAB. You might want to play with the flags: when I am using MATLAB from the command window, I am wanting to use it in non-graphics mode, which is why I use the flags I do.