MATLAB Installation Guide for Unix    

Problems Starting MATLAB

After a successful installation, you may encounter problems starting MATLAB. Many of these problems involve the license manager used by the MathWorks products, FLEXlm. (If MATLAB starts but appears to hang, see Overriding the Default Choice of BLAS Library for a possible solution.)

To resolve this type of problem, follow these suggestions, in the order specified:

  1. Take note of the error message that is displayed. The error message text can often provide information that can resolve the problem. (See License Manager Error Messages for a list of common license manager errors with suggested resolutions.)
  2. Check the license manager log file for error messages and take appropriate corrective action. See Viewing the License Manager Log File for more information. You can also view the log file created by the installer during an installation. See Viewing the Installer Log File for more information.
  3. Make sure that the license manager daemons are running. See Checking the License Manager Daemons for more information.
  4. Verify that your client workstation can connect to the license manager over the network. See Checking the Network Connection for more information.
  5. Check the other common startup problems listed in Resolving Other MATLAB Startup Problems.

If these troubleshooting steps do not resolve the problem you are experiencing, execute the script lmdebug in the $MATLAB/etc directory and send its diagnostic results to the MathWorks Technical Support department. If you do not have e-mail access, fax the results to the MathWorks at the number listed below. For fax reports, it is also helpful to include

To reach the MathWorks Technical Support by phone or e-mail:

E-mail: support@mathworks.com
Phone: 508-647-7000
Fax: 508-647-7201


  Solving CD-ROM Drive Problems Checking the License Manager Daemons