How to Install Matlab on Ubuntu

​​​​​​These instructions were created for Matlab R2017a on Ubuntu 16.04, but the general instructions should hold for most modern versions of Matlab and Ubuntu.

1. ​​Download the Linux installation package. A recent copy is usually available in the ee folder of fs-dept. Alternatively, you can download the file from MathWorks.​
   
   • ​To download the file from fs-dept, open Nautilus (the file browser) and choose File > Connect to Server.
   • Enter smb://fs-dept.et.byu.edu/landesk as the server address.
   • Connect as a registered user, using your CAEDM credentials.
   • The file will be in the packages/ee/Matlab folder and will end with “glnxa64.zip.”
2. Double-click the downloaded installation package to extract the files using Archive Manager.
3. From a terminal, navigate to the folder containing the extracted files and run:
   

   • ​sudo ./install

   • Note: Using sudo is required, or the installer will not be able to create folders for Matlab
4. Installation from here is much the same as for Windows​:
   
   1. Choose “Log in with a MathWorks account, agree to the license, and log in with the department MathWorks account
   2. Choose “Install” and select the “Concurrent” 284884 license (assuming this is for an on-ca​mpus, desktop machine)
   3. Agree to the default installation folder
   4. If the installer errors out here with permissions issues, it's because you forgot to invoke sudo with the installer.
   5. Agree to the default products for installation.
   6. Provide the location of the license.dat file. It can be downloaded from the same folder on fs-dept that had the installer.​
   7. Check the box to create a symbolic link to the MATLAB scripts in /usr/local/bin.
   • This step is different from the Windows installation and is required to allow users to launch Matlab by simply typing “matlab” into a terminal.​
5. Once the installation is complete, create a desktop entry to make it easier for users to launch Matlab:
   
   • Create a file called matlab.desktop in /usr/share/applications (alternatively, a copy is usually on fs-dept). It should contain the following:

matlab.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Matlab R2018a
Exec=matlab
Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/Matlab_Logo.png
Type=Application
Terminal=true
Categories=Developer;

• Copy down the Matlab_Logo.png file from fs-dept (obtained originally from Wikimedia Commons) and place it in the /usr/local/MATLAB/ folder.
• It should now be possible to launch Matlab from the Ubuntu menu, or by typing “matlab” into a terminal.​

license.dat