Matlab Installation and Licensing

Resources

• https://wiki.uwaterloo.ca/display/ISTKB/Download+or+use+MATLAB+online

Licensing options and files

• There are TWO license options: Course and Research
• You will need to create a file called license.dat, the text of which can be obtained from:
  1. ) Your CSCF point of contact
  2. ) Course and Research license.dat file text - Access restricted
• The Matlab installer will ask for the location of this file when you install matlab

Course License

• If you are using Matlab for a course there is no cost
  • Obtain the Course version of the license.dat file - see Licensing page above

Research License

• You must purchase a MatLab License - IST Web Store
  • Note: for students this is done by your supervisor using an account number
  • There is a $75.00 yearly fee unless used for course work!
  • Obtain the Research version of the license.dat file - see Licensing page above
  • You may have to wait a day or two after purchasing the license for the license server to be updated correspondingly.

License Scope and requirements for running MATLAB

• Requirements to run MATLAB
  1. ) You must have an active license (free for some courses) - see https://strobe.uwaterloo.ca/ist/saw/webstore/
  2. ) Your computer userid must match your university UWDIR userid!
  3. ) You must be attached to the university network - or - use the IST AnyConnect client when connecting remotely - see: http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/vpn
  4. ) You must have the correct license.dat file installed on your computer - you get this when the license is paid for.

License Errors - flexlm errors

• Any flexlm error normally indicates that your do not have an active license for MATLAB
  • In some cases the license server may be down - or the release of MATLAB you are trying to run is not supported
  • Please see your CSCF point of contact
    • CSCF Research Points of Contact
    • CSCF Teaching Points of Contact

Obtaining Matlab Software

Note: if your have a PC supplied by CSCF or part of a student lab then you likely already have MATLAB installed
Otherwise you can select any of the following 3 methods to obtain and install Matlab Software

• https://wiki.uwaterloo.ca/display/ISTKB/Download+or+use+MATLAB+online

1) Register with MathWorks and download it yourself!

• Anyone at UofW can do this but you need an active license to run it
  • See: Online downloading from Mathworks below

2) Have CSCF point of contact install Matlab for you

• CSCF Point of Contacts List

3) Pay for license

• See license section above

Online downloading from Mathworks

Register with MathWorks

FIXME link is broken
Note we need to "join" your user account to the UofW license for Matlab

• Follow these instructions

Download Product from MathWorks

Updated 23 July 2020 *You can download the software directly from MathWorks

• Log into your Mathworks Account My Account
• Download Matlab Product
  • http://www.mathworks.com/downloads/select_release
• Below we use the example R2019b - replace this with the version you intend to download
• Linux download locations
  • Open a terminal
    • sudo bash
    • mkdir -p /tmp/matlab/R2019b - replace with the release you want
      • * We will refer to /tmp/matlab/R2019b as TEMP below
    • mkdir /usr/local/matlab - this is where all of the matlab releases will be installed to later on
• Windows download locations
  • Use Explorer to create a local folder for the matlab download c:\R2019b
  • We will refer to this directory as TEMP below
• Log into My Accounts on this link http://www.mathworks.com/accesslogin/myAccount.do
• Download Now -> Licensed Products and Updates
• Download
• Release version -> ie. R2019b
• Platform -> ie Windows or Linux, 32bit or 64bit
• Download the current versions of all my products
• Opening download agent -> click on Open with Sun Java 6 Web Start -> OK
• Location for download files -> Browse -> TEMP -> Select -> Next
• Download

CSCF Admin Section

The notes in the following section are for mostly for CSCF Staff

Testing after deploying

• The userid "cscf-adm" has now been registered as a licensed MATLAB user so it can be used to test MATLAB after installing

Products available from ASIMOV

Update 17 Oct 2024

• Versions
  • We have R2013b, R2015a R2015b R2016a R2017a R2019b R2020a R2024b

Accessing Post R2024a

Due to the inclusion of Matlab Service host and other dependencies in R2024a, simply copying over the files from a working installation will result in a buggy Matlab installation. The easiest method is the interactive GUI installer which can be used via X11 forwarding. Another option is the Silent install(https://www.mathworks.com/help/install/ug/install-noninteractively-silent-installation.html) which requires a FIK.

Upload installer files on Asimov

1. Download installer on desktop environment (login required)

1. https://www.mathworks.com/downloads/

2. Run installer

1. ./install.
2. Enter login
3. Select 'Download without Installing'.
4. Select 'All Products'. This creates a MathWorks folder with all products, allowing for an offline install.

3. Upload MathWorks folder to Asimov

1. Create release folder on asimov
   1. mkdir /images/exports/Matlab/R2024b
2. rsync -a -P ./MathWorks/R2024b/TIMESTAMP/ root@asimov.cscf.uwaterloo.ca:/images/exports/Matlab/R2024b

Matlab R2024a and higher install steps

1. Enable X11 forwarding

1. https://www.addictivetips.com/ubuntu-linux-tips/set-up-x11-forwarding-on-linux/

2. Restart ssh session with -X option

1. ssh userid@mistral.cs.uwaterloo.ca -X

3. Copy matlab installer files over from asimov or local system

4. ./install

1. Follow prompts
2. Use /usr/local/MATLAB/R2024b as the install location

5. Copy over licenses

1. mkdir etc
2. copy license.dat to etc
3. copy network.lic to licenses
4. Delete default license file in licenses. This forces a login.

6. Run bin/matlab and test as root and other users

7. Create symlink to launch matlab

1. +sudo ln -s /usr/local/MATLAB/R2024b/bin/matlab /usr/local/bin/matlab

Accessing Legacy Releases

Updated 23 July 2020 Note: restricted to cscf staff access only

• Versions
  • **
• Requirements
  1. ) *cscf-adm account password on ASIMOV (2014 version in password safe)
  2. ) You will need a Mathworks account to activate the installation
  3. ) 20G of free disk space - the install files are 10G in size!

Downloading current version from ASIMOV

Updated 23 July 2020

In the example below you can replace R2019b with the release you want

• Linux installer files
  • sudo bash
  • mkdir /tmp/matlab
  • mkdir /usr/local/matlab
  • cd /tmp/matlab
  • rsync -a cscf-adm@asimov.uwaterloo.ca:/images/exports/Matlab/R2019b /tmp/matlab
    • You can replace R2019b with the release you want - see version specific notes below
  • cd /tmp/matlab/R2019b
• Windows installer files
  • Start -> Run -> \\asimov.uwaterloo.ca\exports\Matlab
  • Copy the installation files from R2019b to c:\R2019b
• License Files from TWIKI
  • * license.dat files for installation - Access restricted
• Linux License files - from ASIMOV
  • See Obtaining a license
  • Research License
    • rsync -a cscf-adm@asimov.uwaterloo.ca:/images/exports/Matlab/license.dat /tmp/matlab
  • Instructional License
    • rsync -a cscf-adm@asimov.uwaterloo.ca:/images/exports/Matlab/instructional-license/license.dat /tmp/matlab
• Windows License files - from ASIMOV
  • Research License
    • Start -> Run -> \\asimov.uwaterloo.ca\exports\Matlab
    • Copy license.dat to c:\R2019b
  • Instructional License
    • Start -> Run -> \\asimov.uwaterloo.ca\exports\Matlab\instructional-license
    • Copy license.dat to c:\R2019b
• Installation
  • Proceed to the Linux or Windows installation steps below

Windows Installation

Updated 23 July 2020

• Follow the steps in Downloading from ASIMOV section above
• Run installer
  • c:\R2019b\matlab_R2019b_win64.exe - 64bit
• Choose Network Activation/Install - you will need your Mathworks Account to continue
• License Selection -> Select license to install products for: (you have two choices)
  • 188546 UW Research
  • Course Related
• -> OK

Linux Matlab Installation

Updated 23 July 2020 Note: We suggest using the fast installer method if there is a tar file for it
See: Using FAST install package

• Follow the steps in Downloading from ASIMOV section above
• Extract Installer files
  • 32bit Matlab
    • unzip or untar the installer - glnx86 in filename
  • 64bit Matlab
    • unzip or untar the installer - glnxa86 in filename
  • ./install
    • Proceed to the Linux Matlab Installer section below

Linux Matlab Installer

Note: We suggest using the fast installer method if there is a tar file for it
See: Using FAST install package

• Follow the steps in Downloading from ASIMOV section above
• XTERM INSTALL: ./install
• TEXT MODE INSTALL: ./install -t
• Install Automatically using the internet -> OK
• License Agreement -> Yes
• Matlab Root Directory -> /usr/local/matlab
• Mathworks Account -> Your Math Works email address and password ( you will need your Mathworks Account to continue )
• License Selection -> Select license to install products for: (you have two choices)
  • 188546 UW Research
  • Course Related
• -> OK*
• Install Options -> Check Correct Platform -> OK
• Installation Data -> Create symbolic links to MATLAB scripts in: -> /usr/local/bin -> OK
• License File Location -> /usr/local/matlab/license.dat
• Begin Installation -> OK
• Installation Complete -> Exit
• chmod -R g+r,o+r /usr/local/matlab

Create a Custom Launcher - Linux

Lets you click on an ICON to launch

• See CustomLauncher

Using multiple versions

Updated 23 July 2020

• The script set_matlab_release changes default matlab release
  • Save file to /usr/local/bin
  • chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/set_matlab_release*
• Usage: set_matlab_release R2019b

Creating a FAST install package

• Install MATLAB following the above steps

Create FAST install image

Updated 23 July 2020

• Matlab can be installed simply by copying the directory of a working version from an existing system along with its /usr/local/bin symlinks
  • We can create such TAR gzipped files for each maple release and store it on ASIMOV
• The following creates these TAR files and sends them to ASIMOV
  • This will save MATLAB install under /usr/local/MATLAB/version and its symlinks in /usr/local/bin
• Script: mk_matlab_tar
• Usage: ./mk_matlab_tar /usr/local/MATLAB/R2019b R2019b
• Notes: Creates a TAR file: matlab-R2019b-x86_64.tar.gz
  • x86-64 is the output of the arch command in this case
  • First argument is: full path to your MATLAB release
  • Second argument is: MATLAB release such as R2019b
  • File is then uploaded to cscf-adm@asimov.uwaterloo.ca:/coregroup1/images/packages

Using FAST install package

• See also Creating a Matlab Linux FAST install image
• Matlab can be installed simply by copying the directory of a working version from an existing system along with its /usr/local/bin symlinks
  • We have stored such TAR gzipped files for each maple release on ASIMOV
• The following utility fetches these TAR files and extracts them making for a very fast install process.
  • This will install matlab in /usr/local/MATLAB/version and put symlinks in /usr/local/bin
  • Requires ASIMOV cscf-adm password
• fast_install_matple Download and run this script
• chmod 755 fast_install_matlab
• ./fast_install_matlab R2019b - or the release you want

R2019b

Updated 23 July 2020

• ./fast_install_matlab R2019b * See Using FAST install package example above

R2015b

Note: 15 Oct 2015 - license server not yet working for this version

• ./fast_install_matlab R2015b * See Using FAST install package example above

R2015a

Note: 15 Oct 2015 - tested, it works - Mike Gore

• ./fast_install_matlab R2015a * See Using FAST install package example above

R2013b

Note: 10 Oct 2013 - tested, it works - Mike Gore

• ./fast_install_matlab R2013b * See Using FAST install package example above

Testing

See licensing notes above *Note: the account you will be using must be licenced for this to work - the cscf-adm user is valid

• matlab

Debugging

• matlab -h

Linux Stand alone install with local license server - startup script notes

• Copy this file to /etc/init.d/flexnet
• chmod 755 /etc/init.d/flexnet
• edit /etc/init.d/flexnet change the username to your user id - the one on the license
• chkconfig --add flexnet
  • if you are missing chkconfig run apt-get install chkconfig as root
• /etc/init.d/flexnet start
• See Linux Standalone installer

• set_matlab_release: Change the default matlab release on systems with more then one version