Why MATLAB returns -1 when running a script having the function copyfile over SSH

It seems like a bug, but whenever you run a MATLAB script over ssh and that script uses the copyfile function, the MATLAB return code is -1 and thus the SSH exit code is 255, This is regardless if the file is copied correctly. Running the same script locally, it works and the return code is 0 as expected.

For reference, copy paste this BASH script. It SSH to localhost, starts MATLAB. Touches a file in /tmp and then copies that file into a new file in /tmp. At the end prints the SSH exit code (spoiler-alert is 255)

#!/bin/bash
HOST=localhost
MATLAB_BIN=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2016b/bin/matlab
MATLAB_SCRIPT="\"

      location = '/tmp';

      test_file_name = 'matlab-ssh-copyfile-test';
      test_file_path = fullfile(location, test_file_name);

      new_test_file_path = fullfile(location, 'matlab-ssh-copyfile-new');

      fid = fopen(test_file_path, 'w');
      fid = fclose(fid);

      [b_status, s_message] = copyfile(test_file_path, new_test_file_path);

      fprintf('  File copy status %d.\n', b_status);
      fprintf(' Exit MATLAB with code 0\n');
      exit(0)
  \""
  ssh -v $HOST $MATLAB_BIN -nosplash -nodisplay -nodesktop -r ${MATLAB_SCRIPT}
  exit_code=$?
  echo "EXIT CODE ${exit_code}"

[Steven Lord]

What is the full text of the error or warning message returned in the s_message output of your call to copyfile?

[NIKOLAOS BOURAS]

There is no error message. The copyfile works as intended ( It copies the file and b_status == 1) however after this the MATLAB exit code is -1.