Installing and Using MATLAB on Mac OS X    

Starting the Installation Process

Log in to your system.

It is important to note that if you want to install MATLAB in a particular directory, you must have the appropriate permissions. For example, to install MATLAB in the Applications directory, you must have Administrator status. To create symbolic links in a particular directory, you must have the appropriate permissions. For information on setting permissions (privileges), see Macintosh Help (Command+? from the desktop).

Root status is required to install the symbolic links in the default location (/usr/local/bin/) that effectively add MATLAB to your users' paths. The following section describes an alternate way to create symbolic links.

Putting MATLAB on the Path

You must have matlab on your path if you want to start MATLAB by just typing matlab at the UNIX prompt. If you do not have matlab on the path, you will need to type the full MATLAB pathname each time to run the program from the prompt. An alternate way to start MATLAB is by using the LaunchMATLAB application. For more information about LaunchMATLAB, see Using the Launcher.

To put matlab on the path, you can add a symbolic link to MATLAB in a directory that is already on your path. For example, on a stand-alone, single-user machine, you can use /Users/username/bin, where username is your user name. You will have the opportunity to add the symbolic link during the MATLAB installation process. Adding the symbolic links during the installation process also adds links for mex and mbuild.

You can add the symbolic link at the UNIX prompt by entering

which is the full path to the MATLAB program. You must execute this command in a directory that is currently on the path. (To add mex and mbuild to the path, you must repeat the process.)

For information on adding symbolic links on multiuser machines, see the Installation Guide for UNIX.


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