How to create launcher icon

Question

I recently installed Matlab R2013a and it is working fine, however the only way I can start it is by running /usr/local/MATLAB/R2013a/bin/matlab in the terminal. If I type in matlab it says command not found, and I can't seem to get an icon in the side-bar launcher. How can I make it so I can run from the command matlab or from a launcher?

Edit: I have created a link so I can launch it by typing matlab in the terminal. I still can't get the unity icon launcher working though. I managed to create an icon via a matlab.desktop file in /usr/share/applications. When I click it, it launches Matlab, but after the initial loading screen Matlab shuts down instead of launching the application. It works through the terminal though. My matlab.desktop file is:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Matlab
Comment=Matlab R2013a
Icon=/usr/share/icons/Matlab.png
Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2013a/bin/matlab
Categories=Office
Terminal=false`

you sure the matlab.desktop file has executable permissions? If it does not, it won't launch. — Dan Johansen, Oct 09 '14 at 09:41

score 21 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 15 '17 at 22:34

21

The lock to launcher is indeed not working for matlab. There is however a .desktop file that is part of the Matlab installation.

sudo ln /usr/share/app-install/desktop/matlab-support:matlab.desktop /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

You have to update a few things in this file (matlab.desktop):

[Desktop Entry]
X-AppInstall-Package=matlab-support
X-AppInstall-Popcon=3
X-AppInstall-Section=multiverse

Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=matlab -desktop
Name=MATLAB
Icon=_usr_share_icons_hicolor_48x48_apps_matlab
Categories=Development;Math;Science
Comment=Scientific computing environment
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=com-mathworks-util-PostVMInit

X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=app-install-data

Give the icon an absolute file path by changing the icon path above to

Icon=/usr/share/app-install/icons/_usr_share_icons_hicolor_48x48_apps_matlab.png

And change:

Terminal=true

Now you should be able to lock the icon to the launcher as well as start matlab from there.

edited Oct 15 '17 at 22:34

Mark

153

answered Dec 18 '14 at 10:55

Anne van Rossum

501

This is working. – eccstartup May 03 '15 at 10:46
7

And Terminal=true is not required. – eccstartup May 03 '15 at 10:46
This is a nice and complete answer +1. @Isaac Vandermeulen should consider accepting this. – NKN Feb 14 '16 at 00:49
FYI: If you use the -desktop argument with the matlab command you don't need Terminal=true in the launcher file – Ben Winding Mar 21 '17 at 08:08
@TylerDurden. Thanks. That used to be necessary, so I'll keep it there as reference. – Anne van Rossum Apr 12 '17 at 15:06
@AnnevanRossum I modified the .desktop file but Matlab still doesn't run from the icon. Also sudo ln /usr/share/app-install/desktop/matlab-support:matlab.desktop /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop gives me this message ln: failed to create hard link '/usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop': File exists What do I do? – Kewal Shah Jan 12 '18 at 15:31

score 12 · Answer 2 · answered May 09 '17 at 15:18

12

To add an entry to the launcher and some other features, install the matlab-support package:

sudo apt-get install matlab-support

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MATLAB

answered May 09 '17 at 15:18

mohsinulhaq

221

1

It works just fine! – MrObjectOriented May 17 '19 at 17:28
3

This should be accepted as best answer. – Danijel Apr 27 '21 at 12:56

score 10 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 03 '15 at 13:22

For me this works perfectly ...

Open a terminal and then

1.download your own icon-

sudo wget http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Matlab_Logo.png -O /usr/share/icons/matlab.png

2.give your access permission

sudo touch /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

3.edit your .desktop file

sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

4.and paste the following into the document.

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/matlab.png
Name=MATLAB R2014a
Comment=Start MATLAB - The Language of Technical Computing
Exec=matlab -desktop
Categories=Development;

that's it..! Save, and you should have a new desktop shortcut in your launcher

score 6 · Answer 4 · edited Oct 23 '14 at 16:21

6

In your matlab.desktop file, you need to specify that you want to execute in the desktop.

Your Exec= should look like this:

 Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2013a/bin/matlab -desktop

edited Oct 23 '14 at 16:21

αғsнιη

35,660

answered Oct 23 '14 at 16:20

Benjamin Zimmerman

61

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Nov 11 '16 at 19:58

For Ubuntu 16.04 and MATLAB R2016b

Find your preferable picture in .png format and rename it matlab.png.

Execute:
```
sudo cp matlab.png /usr/share/pixmaps/
```
The above command copies your icon to the appropriate folder.

Execute:

sudo gedit /usr/local/share/applications/matlab.desktop

Then copy the following lines on matlab.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
X-AppInstall-Package=matlab-support
X-AppInstall-Popcon=10
X-AppInstall-Section=multiverse
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/R2016b/bin/matlab -desktop
Name=MATLAB
Icon=/usr/share/pixmaps/matlab.png
Categories=Development;Math;Science
Comment=Scientific computing environment
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=com-mathworks-util-PostVMInit
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=app-install-data

Go on Dash and type matlab.
Pick the icon from Dash and move in onto Launcher.

Τέλος! The end!

Jakob Guldberg Aaes · Answer 6 · 2018-03-13T07:52:21.847

2

To my experience by far, the far simplest solution I have figured out yet is to simply install "matlab-support" through apt-get. It solves not only this issue but others as well. Just pop open a terminal and type

   sudo apt-get install matlab-support -y

It will ask for the location of Matlab. Mine is at /usr/local/MATLAB/R2017b.

edited Mar 13 '18 at 07:52

answered Nov 18 '17 at 09:46

Jakob Guldberg Aaes

138

works for me! Faster than making a .dekstop file – gannex Oct 30 '23 at 03:54

score 0 · Answer 7 · edited Feb 17 '20 at 17:58

Ubuntu 18.04 For me this works perfectly ...

Open a terminal and then

Download your own icon:

sudo wget http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Matlab_Logo.png -O /usr/share/icons/matlab.png

Create .desktop file:

sudo touch /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

Edit your .desktop file

sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop

Paste the following into the .desktop file:

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/matlab.png
Name=MATLAB R2018a
Comment=Start MATLAB - The Language of Technical Computing
Exec=matlab -desktop
Categories=Development;

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Oct 12 '23 at 20:26

Just create a file with notepad: matlab.desktop And copy the code below:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=MATLAB
Exec=/home/**USER**/MATLAB/R2023b/bin/matlab -desktop
Icon=/home/**USER**/MATLAB/R2023b/resources/coreui/matlab/splash.png
Terminal=false

Then save the file in the folder: Desktop

score 0 · Answer 9 · edited Jan 08 '14 at 03:38

0

Create a symbolic link in /usr/local/bin, i.e. as su

ln -s /usr/local/MATLAB/R2013a/bin/matlab /usr/local/bin/matlab

Once MATLAB is running, an icon should appear in the launcher toolbar. Right click it and lock it to the launcher.

edited Jan 08 '14 at 03:38

Seth

58,122

answered Jan 08 '14 at 03:14

Carl Greco

1
1

1

That works so I can run it by typing matlab in the terminal. However, the lock to launcher is not working. Is there a way to make it show up when I search matlab in the unity launcher or so that I can have a desktop icon for it? – Jan 08 '14 at 03:52

score -1 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 29 '15 at 21:37

I had the same problem, and fund that much of the difficulty came from Matlab installing the .desktop file into ~/.local/share/applications/, rather than /usr/share/applications/. With that in mind, my solution:

Ensure that you can launch matlab by typing matlab in terminal. If not, then you can install a sym link to do so, or replace my matlab commands below with the full path to the matlab executable.
Download a matlab icon and save it to ~/.local/share/icons/matlab.png
Create a new file: ~/.local/share/applications/matlab_version.desktop with the contents: [Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8 Version=1.0 Type=Application Name=MATLAB Icon=matlab.png Exec=matlab -desktop StartupNotify=fals[ Terminal=false
Check that the file you just created (matlab_version.desktop) has permissions set to be executable.
Navigate to ~/.local/share/applications/ using nautilus file explorer, and then double click on matlab_version (it hides the file extension here)
That should launch matlab. If it works, then right-click on the matlab icon in the unit launcher and then select 'lock to launcher'. If it doesn't work, then check that the file has execute permissions, and that your sym link is working.

How to create launcher icon

10 Answers10

For Ubuntu 16.04 and MATLAB R2016b

Τέλος! The end!

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