Why does MATLAB fail to install with a "'std::runtime_error' what(): Unable to launch the MATLABWindow application" error on Linux?

When I try to install MATLAB on Linux, it fails with the following error:

terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::runtime_error'
  what(): Unable to launch the MATLABWindow application
Aborted

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

For MATLAB R2021a or later:

This error typically occurs as the result of a CEF issue from missing libraries.

MathWorks documents all of the required libraries for MATLAB on different Linux distributions. For example, MATLAB R2023b requires the following libraries on RHEL 8 based Linux distributions and they can be installed with one long command:

yum install alsa-lib.x86_64 cairo.x86_64 cairo-gobject.x86_64 cups-libs.x86_64 gdk-pixbuf2.x86_64 glib2.x86_64 glibc.x86_64 glibc-langpack-en.x86_64 glibc-locale-source.x86_64 gtk3.x86_64 libICE.x86_64 libXcomposite.x86_64 libXcursor.x86_64 libXdamage.x86_64 libXfixes.x86_64 libXft.x86_64 libXinerama.x86_64 libXrandr.x86_64 libXt.x86_64 libXtst.x86_64 libXxf86vm.x86_64 libcap.x86_64 libdrm.x86_64 libglvnd-glx.x86_64 libsndfile.x86_64 libtool-ltdl.x86_64 libuuid.x86_64 libwayland-client.x86_64 make.x86_64 mesa-libgbm.x86_64 net-tools.x86_64 nspr.x86_64 nss.x86_64 nss-util.x86_64 pam.x86_64 pango.x86_64 procps-ng.x86_64 sudo.x86_64 unzip.x86_64 which.x86_64 zlib.x86_64

Try installing all of the libraries which MATLAB requires on your Linux distribution and then retry running the installer. 

The above command can be inferred from the "base-dependencies.txt" file from this page:

matlab-deps R2023b ubi8: base-dependencies.txt

https://github.com/mathworks-ref-arch/container-images/blob/main/matlab-deps/r2023b/ubi8/base-dependencies.txt

For more information, see:

What dependencies are needed to install MATLAB on "minimal" or "core" Linux installations?

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/2018166

If your error persists, you can directly run the MATLABWindow script from within the MathWorks Product Installer for a potentially more detailed error message on the missing libraries. You can run MATLABWindow directly by following the below instructions:

1) Start a terminal

2) Extract the MathWorks Product Installer (ex. matlab_R2021b_glnxa64.zip) to a new directory

3) cd to the extracted installer directory (i.e. the directory from which they would run ./install)

4) Run the following command

  ./bin/glnxa64/MATLABWindow

 

An example output from this would be:

./bin/glnxa64/MATLABWindow: error while loading shared libraries: libatk-bridge-2.0.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

In the above example, the issue was resolved by installing the at-spi2-atk library package.

Another example output is:

./bin/glnxa64/MATLABWindow: error while loading shared libraries: libasound.so.2: cannot open shared object files: No such file or directory.

In this example, the issue was resolved by installing the alsa-lib and alsa-lib-devel library packages.

For MATLAB R2020b or earlier:

This error message is typically caused by a library dependency error.

To resolve this issue, please remove the following libraries from the MathWorks Installation files, specifically the /bin/glnxa64 directory:

libcrypto.so.1.1

libssl.so.1.1

If the issue remains unresolved, move the installer's following library files into a folder so the installer uses the qualified system's libraries instead:

cd <installer root>/sys/os/glnxa64
mkdir exclude
mv libstdc++.so.6 libstdc++.so.6.0.28 exclude

cd <installer root>/bin/glnxa64
mkdir exclude
mv libstdc++.so.6* exclude/

This will move the files into the exclude folders. This will allow you to move them back to their original folders if needed. 

[Tianjiao Ding]

1. Be sure to delete not only the two above indicated files, but also their symbolic links in the same directory.
2. Try installing by directly running "install_unix_legacy" or "install_unix". For me, "install_unix_legacy" works but the other one does not.
3. I am using root-level installation. For some reasons I can only do everything as root.

[norbert]

Solution by Jeffrey Daniels below was successful.

[Xingwang Yong]

Removing these two files worked for me, but I can not use MATLAB coder after installation.

System, CentOS 8.3, MATLAB 2020a.

MATLAB Coder error message, 'Bundle#290 start failed: /lib64/libk5crypto.so.3: undefined symbol: EVP_KDF_ctrl, version OPENSSL_1_1_1b'

Answer 2

[Tianjiao Ding]

In fact this solution seems to work so well that I would like to make it an answer rather than a comment to help those who suffer from this problem. I am using ssh to connect a remote machine, and on the remote machine I am root.

1. Turn on X11-forwarding to have remote display. This is a must if you do not want to install without GUI (where I tried for 15 mins to look for the so-called "File installation key" and gave up). Then ssh -Y or ssh -X to the remote machine.
2. Install by directly running "install_unix_legacy". For me it is located at MATLAB2020a/bin/glnxa64/install_unix_legacy, but it may be different for you if you are using different architectures/operating systems.
3. If 2 does not work, try runing "install_unix".
4. Now a window for installation should pop up. Cheers!

I did not delete any of the files mentioned by the other answers. If you want to try, remember to delete not only the indicated files, but also their symbolic links in the same directory.

[Tianjiao Ding]

You guys are amazing for using Arch Linux (I heard many stories from my colleagues and decided to make my life easier...). One thing I have not resolved yet: I run Matlab on a remote Ubuntu server, and use X11 forwarding to have a GUI on my local machine. However, Matlab always crashes several seconds after startup. Have you in any possibility also faced that issue?

[xingxingcui]

@Elizabeth Sarneso good job,this is the first time I've heard of a successful installation on WSL2, congratulations, I'll try to install on WSL2 in the future, win11 supports the WSL2-GUI interface, a screenshot of matlab would be nice

Answer 3

[Jeffrey Daniels]

I had this same problem. I didn't need to use 'install_unix_legacy' or remove any libraries. This is how I fixed it:

Ensure that you have permission to read and execute in the folder you are running ./install from, because the installation program needs to stat files in that folder structure; /home/[user]/MatlabR2020b_Linux_Install/bin/glnxa64/cef_locales/ to be specific, among others.

$ chmod 755 -R /home/[user]/MatlabR2020b_Linux_Install/

$ sudo ~/MatlabR2020b_Linux_Install/install

[Jeffrey Daniels]

I am very happy to be of service!