Java 1.6.0_51 breaks MATLAB 2012b on Mac OS X 10.6.8

After a system software update yesterday, the Java version on my machine was upgraded from 1.6.0_45 to 1.6.0_51. The Matlab Desktop GUI no longer works. The Matlab window does appear, but does not allow keyboard or mouse input. The terminal version of Matlab ('matlab -nodesktop') still works fine. Can The Mathworks provide a patch to resolve this issue please?

Thanks, Conor

Answer 1

[Shashank Prasanna]

MathWorks is aware of this issue and is looking into it. Here are two other posts that are related.

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/79489-java-1-6-0_51-breaks-matlab-2012b-and-below

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/79530-java-10-6-update-16-issue-on-osx-10-6

Answer 2

[Mark]

I found a workaround: Close all programs

    Go to Applications / Utilities / Java Preferences

    The Java Prefs app will open

    In the 'General' Tab, change the order of Java SE, so that the two with the older versions are on top.  The versions are in the RH column on my system.  For example, my toplisted version was 1.6.0_51..., which is the latest version updated yesterday.  There were also two entries for 1.6.0_24...  Drag these so they are on top (64-bit first)

   Close the app

   Start MATLAB.  Now I can type and everything is good.

[Conor Fleming]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for this answer. Unfortunately for me the only available versions are 64-bit 1.6.0_51... and 32-bit 1.6.0_51...

I'll work from the console for the moment in the hope that Mathworks issue a fix. Down the line I might see about installing an older version of Java.

Answer 3

[Conor Fleming]

This issue has now been resolved. The solution has been posted by Shashank here:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/79489#answer_89629