Matlab 2023b creates desktop launchers with unknown purpose on Ubuntu

Ubuntu 23.10 and MATLAB is installed in the default location /usr/local/MATLAB.

You can see mw-matlab.desktop, mw-matlabconnector.desktop, mw-simulink.desktop and the content of mw-matlab.desktop.

It seems they are for some remote launch feature because I cannot launch MATLAB using this desktop files but they are present in the application menu.

I even tried executing the OpenMathWroksDesktopApp as shown in the desktop file directly but it doesn't show any error or messages.

What are these desktop files usage? Also, if you can create desktop files, why not create the correct launchers?

Answer 1

[Hassaan]

1. Installation Scripts: The MATLAB installer scripts may not account for all the variations in desktop environments or Linux distributions, leading to incorrect or non-functional desktop launcher configurations.
2. Permissions: Sometimes, the issue arises from file permission settings. If the MATLAB installer is run with different permissions than the user's desktop environment, this could lead to launchers that the user cannot execute or that do not point to the correct executable paths.
3. User-Specific Configurations: User-specific configurations can also cause issues. For example, if the .desktop file is created with paths or settings that are user-specific, they may not work if the user's environment changes or if another user tries to use the launcher.
4. Version Changes: As MATLAB is updated or if multiple versions are installed, the paths specified in the launcher may not get updated accordingly, leading to incorrect launcher configurations.
5. System Variability: Different Linux distributions and desktop environments have different conventions for launcher files. MATLAB's installation scripts might not be updated to handle all these cases correctly.

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If you find the solution helpful and it resolves your issue, it would be greatly appreciated if you could accept the answer. Also, leaving an upvote and a comment are also wonderful ways to provide feedback.

Professional Interests

• Technical Services and Consulting
• Embedded Systems | Firmware Developement | Simulations
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering

It's important to note that the advice and code are based on limited information and meant for educational purposes. Users should verify and adapt the code to their specific needs, ensuring compatibility and adherence to ethical standards.

Feel free to contact me.

[Chenye Zhou]

Switched to R2022b anyway. R2023b is the only version creating these launchers and floders like .Mathworks in my home directory. Maybe only staff from Mathworks know why they create them.

Answer 2

[Hassaan]

you could create a new .desktop file with the correct command to launch MATLAB.

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=MATLAB
Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023a/toolbox/shared/dastudio/resources/MATLAB_icon.png
Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2023a/bin/matlab -desktop
Comment=Start MATLAB - The Language of Technical Computing
Categories=Development;Math;Science

Replace R2023a with the version of MATLAB you have installed. The Icon path might also need to be adjusted if it's different on your system. Once you've created this file, name it matlab.desktop and place it in ~/.local/share/applications/ (or the equivalent directory for desktop applications on your system).

You would need to give this file execute permission using the command chmod +x matlab.desktop and then you might see MATLAB in your applications menu after refreshing the desktop environment or logging out and back in.

Keep in mind that creating and modifying .desktop files requires administrative permissions if placed in system-wide directories and should be done carefully to avoid misconfiguration.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you find the solution helpful and it resolves your issue, it would be greatly appreciated if you could accept the answer. Also, leaving an upvote and a comment are also wonderful ways to provide feedback.

Professional Interests

• Technical Services and Consulting
• Embedded Systems | Firmware Developement | Simulations
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering

It's important to note that the advice and code are based on limited information and meant for educational purposes. Users should verify and adapt the code to their specific needs, ensuring compatibility and adherence to ethical standards.

Feel free to contact me.

[Chenye Zhou]

Thanks. However, I know how to create a desktop launcher. My question is why matlab creates these useless launchers and if they can actually create launchers, why not create a correct one automatically?

[Markus Iturriaga]

These launchers are also causing unnecessary and unusable application menu entries on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Answer 3

[Aravind]

I would like to know how to stop MATLAB creating such invalid desktop files. I have created my desktop file using matlab-support.