MATLAB activation error using ubuntu terminal

Hello everyone,

I am trying to use MATLAB in a Linux machine remotely using ssh. When I try to run, I get:

Error: Activation cannot proceed. You may either:

1. Set an X11 display, and restart the activation process

2. Use the silent activation feature

3. Activate using the license center

Then, I tried:

/usr/local/MATLAB/R20XXx/bin/activate_matlab.sh

but I get the same above message. Can you please help me?

Answer 1

[Hassaan]

Activating MATLAB on a remote Linux machine via SSH can be tricky, especially if you don't have X11 forwarding enabled (which allows for graphical applications to be displayed). There are a few methods to activate MATLAB in this situation:

1. Enable X11 Forwarding

If you have graphical access on your local machine and SSH with X11 forwarding is available, you can enable X11 forwarding to display the MATLAB activation window on your local machine.

• On your local machine, make sure you have an X11 server installed (like Xming for Windows, or XQuartz for macOS).
• When you SSH into the remote machine, use the -X option to enable X11 forwarding:

ssh -X username@remote-host

• Once logged in, try running the MATLAB activation script again. If X11 forwarding is set up correctly, the activation GUI should appear on your local machine.

2. Silent Activation

If you cannot use X11 forwarding, you can use MATLAB's silent activation feature. This requires you to have a File Installation Key and the license file.

• On a machine with internet access, go to the MATLAB License Center and log in with your MathWorks account.
• Select your license, and under the "Activate to Retrieve License File" section, follow the instructions to activate MATLAB. You will get a File Installation Key and a license file (.lic).
• Transfer the license file to your remote Linux machine.
• Run the silent activation script with the path to your license file:

/usr/local/MATLAB/R20XXx/bin/activate_matlab.sh -propertiesFile path/to

yourLicenseFile.lic

Replace `path/to/yourLicenseFile.lic` with the actual path to your license file. 

### 3. Manual Activation
If silent activation is not an option or doesn't work for you, you can manually activate MATLAB using the License Center:

- Visit the [MATLAB License Center](https://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter).
- Choose your license and select "Activate to Retrieve License File".
- Follow the prompts to manually activate MATLAB. You'll need the Host ID of your Linux machine for this, which you can get by running `lmutil lmhostid` on your Linux machine.
- Once activated, download the license file.
- Transfer this file to your Linux machine and place it in the appropriate directory (usually `/usr/local/MATLAB/R20XXx/licenses/`).

### Notes
- Replace `R20XXx` with your actual MATLAB version.
- If you encounter any issues, consider reaching out to MathWorks support for assistance, as license-related issues can often require specific solutions based on your account and licensing details.
- Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to activate MATLAB on the remote machine.

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