How to install MATLAB on linux environment with no GUI.

Background:

- Have a school total headcount license for MATLAB&SIMULINK 2017a

- I'm trying to install it on a VPS (amazon ec2)

- I'm using the download installer, which requests I login to the installer with my matlab credentials

- Since there is no GUI environment, I'm trying to use the silent installer

- I have done online activation (used the MAC address from the VPS) and received a "File Installation Key" and "license.lic" file

- I configured the installer_input.txt with the following lines:

fileInstallationKey=XXXX-XXXXX # The (really long) key I was given during online activation  
licensePath=~/license.lic # I downloaded the license file and put it here  
agreeToLicense=yes
mode=silent

so I run

sudo ./install -inputFile ~/input.txt

but I get this error: "Using a File Installation Key requires you run the installer from a MATLAB DVD or from a directory which contains files previously downloaded via the installer."

So I'm stuck in a catch 22. How can I get "files previously downloaded via the installer" if I can't run the installer in the first place? If I was running the GUI installer, I would just enter my school email and password and it would start the download, install, and activation with ease. How do I do this with the silent/CLI installer?

Answer 1

[Carl]

Hi Jonathan. The page below indicates that you need to "download product files" before actually doing the installation:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/install/ug/install-noninteractively-silent-installation.html

There are two options for doing this: through the MATLAB installer and the ISO image. Since you aren't able to interactively use the installer, you can follow the guide below on obtaining installation files through the ISO image:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/316756-how-can-i-obtain-an-offline-installer-for-matlab-without-using-the-download-only-option-in-the-mat

[James Mazer]

I've got a similar question -- I've got a dozen machines in my lab using the campus TAH license that was just updated and I'm looking for a what to re-activate them all via script/ssh without having to connect to each one and run a GUI-based program (ie, the matlab kernel or the activate_matalb.sh script) and manually enter all the info. I can't find anything indicating how do do this (including page linked above).

[Jack]

Neither can I. I really wish they'd change this. My university pays a lot for Matlab, but I can't help but think that the pirates get a better product!

[Agustin Pardo]

Are there any news about the Linux silent instalation? I need some help too

[Yingyong]

can there be a complete guide for installing on linux w/o GUI? thanks

[Denis Buckley]

@Carl this link appears to be dead.

https://uk.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/316756-how-can-i-obtain-an-offline-installer-for-matlab-without-using-the-download-only-option-in-the-mat

or possibly just missing part of the url at the end?

[Tashrif Tashrif]

Both *how-can-i* links are broken.