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Perform Silent Installation of MATLAB from Command Line

If you have to perform many MATLAB® software installations, and the information you need to enter for each installation is the same, you can put this information in a properties file and run the MathWorks® installer noninteractively. You specify the properties file at the command line when you start the installer. The file provides information to the installer that you would otherwise enter interactively, using the installer dialog boxes. Noninteractive installation, also called a silent installation, can save time and prevent errors.

Prerequisites

You need a File Installation Key to use the installer properties file (installer_input.txt). For information on how to get a File Installation Key, see Install MathWorks Products on Offline Computer.

Download Installer and Products

Download an installer containing the MathWorks products you want to install on the target computers. The download procedure to use depends on whether you want to install only a subset of products for which you have licenses or all products for which you have licenses.

Download Subset of Products Using Download-Only Installer

If you need to install only a subset of products on the target computers, use the MathWorks installer to download a separate installer containing those products.

  1. Go to MathWorks Downloads, select the release and platform of the computer you are using to perform the download, and download the installer.

  2. Run the downloaded installer, sign in to your MathWorks Account, and accept the license agreement.

  3. Under Advanced Options, select I want to download without installing.

  4. Specify where you want to download the installer, the platform of the target computers, and the products you want to include in the download. Then, download the installer containing the product files.

  5. Copy the installer to a location that each target computer can access, such as a local folder on each target computer or a network share.

Download All Products Using ISO or DMG Image

If you need to install all products on the target computers, download the ISO (Windows®, Linux®) or DMG (Mac) image containing all products. To download an ISO or DMG, you must be a license administrator.

  1. Go to MathWorks Downloads, and from the I Want To menu, select Get ISOs and DMGs. This link is visible only if you are signed in as a license administrator.

  2. Select the release and update of the ISO or DMG you want to download.

  3. Under Get ISOs and DMGs for MATLAB and Simulink Products, select the platform of the target computers (not the computer you are using to perform this download) and download the ISO or DMG.

  4. Using the standard process for your operating system, mount the downloaded ISO or DMG image to a folder.

  5. Copy the installer to a location that each target computer can access, such as a local folder on each target computer or a network share.

Create Installer Properties File

  1. Make a copy of the installer properties file installer_input.txt. This file is located in the top level of the folder containing the installer.

    For example, on a Windows computer, you might execute this command:

    copy Z:\installer_input.txt C:\temp\my_installer_input.txt
    
  2. Open the copied installer properties file using any text editor.

  3. Uncomment only the parameters that start with a single # symbol and enter the appropriate values. For example:

    • destinationFolder — Specify the path to the folder where you want to install products. You must specify the full path. Specifying a relative path might cause the installer_input file to be read incorrectly. This table shows sample destination folders for each operating system.

      Operating SystemExample
      WindowsdestinationFolder="C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2024a"
      LinuxdestinationFolder=/opt/MATLAB/R2024a
      macOSdestinationFolder=/Applications
    • fileInstallationKey — Specify the value of your File Installation Key.

    The comments section for each parameter defines all allowed values for the parameter.

  4. Save your changes to the file.

Run Installer Using Properties File

  1. Navigate to the folder containing the installer and products.

  2. In a command window or terminal, start the installer using the -inputFile option to specify the full path of your installer properties file as a command-line argument.

    On Windows, run the setup.exe application with the -inputFile option. For example:

    setup.exe -inputFile C:\temp\my_installer_input.txt
    

    On Linux or macOS, run the install script with the -inputFile option. For example:

    install -inputFile /tmp/my_installer_input.txt

View Installation and Activation Log Files

During the installation and activation of MathWorks products, the product installer creates a log file that can be used to obtain information on these processes.

The installation log file is named mathworks_%username%.log and the activation log file is named aws_%username%.log. In both cases, %username% is the username of the person running the installer.

To locate your log files, see Where Are the MATLAB Installation and Log Files Located?

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