Is there a way to install MATLAB without launching a window as root?

Every time I install a new version of Matlab, I wince as I launch the installer as root. Running graphical applications as root is a serious security vulnerability. But if I try to run the installer as my normal user, I get an error when I get to the installation step saying the installer can't write to the selected location (the usual /usr/local/MATLAB directory).

Is there a way to install Matlab without running the graphical installer as root? Is there a non-graphical install method?

Answer 1

[Rashed Mohammed]

Hi Josh

MATLAB installer needs to be launched as root only if the installer has to write/modify files which only a root user can access such as /usr/local/MATLAB and /usr/local/bin. If you specify a destination folder which a non-root user has access to and do not want MATLAB installer to automatically create symlinks, then launching MATLAB installer as non-root user is sufficient to install MATLAB.

However, if you wish to perform a non-graphical installation, I would suggest you to go through Install Noninteractively documention page. Please note that this process requires you to access File Installation Key from your MathWorks account license page.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

[Jaroslav]

Hello,

you can run Matlab's installer in Linux without root privilege as follow (assuming username josh). The idea is to allow user to write to directory /usr/local/MATLAB

$ sudo mkdir /usr/local/MATLAB

$ sudo chown josh /usr/local/MATLAB

To allow the Matlab's installer to create links to executables, you can create local bin directory

$ mkdir /usr/local/MATLAB/bin

Then run MATLAB installer without root

$ cd ~/Downloads/matlab_R2024a_Linux

$ ./install

During the installation, select links to bin files to be written to "/usr/local/MATLAB/bin"

Last, change PATH by adding following line to ~/.bashrc

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/MATLAB/bin

This procedure has worked for me (Ubuntu 24, Matlab2024)

Hoping it helps somebody

Jaroslav