Why can't I install MATLAB with the root account in Linux when the installer works for my user account?

When I try to run the install script as root on Linux, why am I unable to install MATLAB? I can start the installer normally on my user account.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This error is related to some of the environment variables from your user account not being passed to root when running the installer. There are 2 specific variables that will cause this, your DISPLAY variable, which will tell the install what screen to start on and XAUTHORITY which gives user permissions to display programs to that screen.

If you are unable to set these variables, please either speak to your IT department for assistance, or install MATLAB to a folder for which you have permissions.

This issue comes in two forms:

• With no error message or a blank screen
• With error messages

With no error message or blank screen

If no error message appears when running the MathWorks installer as root, particularly with MATLAB R2021b and later, it may be an issue with an inability to access the X Server. As a workaround, please try the following: 

• Launch Terminal
• Type the following in the terminal to allow the root user to access the running X server:

xhost +SI:localuser:root

• After running the command above try running the installer "sudo ./install"

If this does not work, try the following:

1. Move the installer folder to /opt/
2. Give root ownership of the installer folder (for example: chown -R root:root matlab_R2023a_glnxa64)
3. Run the installer from this folder as root

With error messages

XAUTHORITY

On some distributions, other users are prevented from starting windows on X servers owned by other users. The XAUTHORITY environment variable points to the location of a key on your system that is required to start X applications on that display. Depending on your distribution, this key will be located in different locations. An error relating to XAUTHORITY may appear like the following or with no error message at all:

ERROR: No protocol specified
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.InternalError: Can't connect to X11 window server using ':2' as the value of the DISPLAY variable.

The simplest way to get around this is to allow all users on this machine to start programs on this display:

xhost + localhost

If you are connecting to this machine remotely, run the below instead:

xhost +

This will also allow remote users to start programs on this display. After installing MATLAB, you may want to replace these restrictions with either:

xhost - localhost

Or

xhost -

DISPLAY

The DISPLAY environment variable tells program what display they should be started on. You will receive an error such as the below:

ERROR: Error: Installation cannot proceed. You may either:1. Set an X11 display, and restart the install process2. Use the silent install feature by specifying the -mode silent option

Or

ERROR: Exception in thread "main" com.google.inject.ProvisionException: Guice provision errors:1) Error injecting constructor, java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Could not initialize class sun.awt.X11GraphicsEnvironment  at com.mathworks.instutil.wizard.JEditorPaneHyperlinkHandler.<init>(JEditorPaneHyperlinkHandler.java:57)  while locating com.mathworks.instutil.wizard.JEditorPaneHyperlinkHandler  while locating com.mathworks.instutil.wizard.HyperlinkHandler    for parameter 5 at com.mathworks.wizard.ui.components.SwingComponentFactoryImpl.<init>(SwingComponentFactoryImpl.java:111)

To resolve this, you can temporarily set the DISPLAY variable for root to the value that is set for your user account.

Run the below as your user account:

printenv | grep DISPLAY

This will show your display environment variable. Remember this for later. Now enter the below:

suexport <DISPLAY>

Where <DISPLAY> is the value of the DISPLAY variable from the printenv command.

If none of these suggestions work and you have an internet connection, try using MATLAB Package Manager to install MathWorks Products. The instructions and additional details for it can be found below.

MATLAB Package Manager

https://github.com/mathworks-ref-arch/matlab-dockerfile/blob/main/MPM.md

[Weiliang Zhou]

It shows nothing when I use

printenv | grep DISPLAY

What should I do then? Thanks a lot!

[Gergely]

set up a display variable like:

DISPLAY=localhost:10.0

[Jakub Nierostek]

Thank you, I had the same problem and this helped me to solve it.

[Jerin Joy]

Thank you for the solution. It worked!

[Kevin Palacios]

Men I'am new in Pop OS , Can you write the procceses more easy please :)

[Tong Zhao]

Thank you. I'm using Ubuntu 18.04, and the line

xhost +SI:localuser:root

saved my day. I wasn't able to run sudo ./install previously, and now after the above line in the terminal, I am able to run the installer with sudo authority.

[요셉 김]

Thank you so much.

[Justus Nwoke]

This was quiet helpful. Thank you

Answer 2

[Gerhard Giefing]

I've only SSH access.... there is no Display var in any User or the root... any ideas... only need this server as computing machine... no GUI needed ... have only TUI

[Colin Fraser]

Hi,

If you are still experiencing this issue, please contact MathWorks support:

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

-Colin

[Eric Dowty]

This is less then helpful. I'd suggest more of an answer rather than "just contact support".

[Zach Smith]

Please can MatLab provide instructions for installing the licensing server without a GUI. And as the previous comment mentioned, "just contact support" is not helpful or appreciated.

[Maël Jeuffrard]

@Zach Smith @Gerhard Giefing

Did you get any usefull help ?

I don't want to install any GUI on my server it's insane !

@Colin Fraser Why your "documentation" forum based if we can't get better answer than "contact the support" ?

[Zach Smith]

@Maël Jeuffrard - no, they couldn't help me. But you can run via Docker and therefore circumvent the install.

The Docker instructions require signing in via the terminal on every start or otherwise having access to a license manager server (we will setup our own license manager server... but that as far as I can tell HAS to be installed via a UI and so we haven't done this yet).

But you can also start Docker with an explicit MAC address, which allows for running it with a regular license (the username is 'matlab' when you activate a license).

== EDIT

I've subsequently learned that it's pretty easy to do X11 forwarding on an Ubuntu server, so only having terminal access should not be a problem when running the installer. But better instructions would help!

Answer 3

[José Carlos Ferreira]

The

su
export <DISPLAY>

command, returns a natural error if the previous command show us that DISPLAY=:0 and we replace <DISPLAY> by "0" (without quotes).

export 0

This naturally ends up in the following error:

bash: export: `0': not a valid identifier

[Mahaveer Jain]

You need to do "export DISPLAY=:0"

[Connor Kurtz]

My issue is after I export DISPLAY=:0, when I try to xhost +, I get xhost: unable to open display ":0"

[Kyle Perry]

Hello Connor,

If you are still unable to start MATLAB, please contact our support team so we can assist.

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

[Brian Zelenke]

For me this works:

export DISPLAY=':0'

Answer 4

[Tech Support]

Hi,

If you are still experiencing this issue, please contact MathWorks support:

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

-Justin

Answer 5

[Gerhard Giefing]

and it its not installing and gives no error

Answer 6

[Matthew]

I also was able to call the installer GUI with my user account, but not as root (with sudo). My solution was to copy my .Xauthority file from my home directory to /root/ . Then, I could run the installer as root using sudo bash ./install .