How can I install MATLAB or other MathWorks products on an offline machine?

I need to install MATLAB on a machine which cannot connect to the internet. How can I do this?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Install MathWorks Products on a Computer without an Internet Connection

You will need a computer which has an internet connection to obtain these items for the offline computer that you want to install MATLAB on:

1. File Installation Key (FIK)
2. License file
3. Offline installation files

Prerequisites

Step 1. Download the Offline Installation Files on a computer with an unrestricted internet connection

"Offline Installation Files" refers to either the "ISO" which contains all products, or "Download-only" files which contain a specific subset of products.

Only License Administrators on licenses that are not Student nor Home licenses can download the ISO. How do I mount the ISO?

License End Users should use the MATLAB installer to obtain download-only files instead. Note that this will work for any End User with download privileges for R2020a and newer. Non-License Administrators, Student licenses, and any user on a Home licenses will not have this option for R2014a-R2019b.

1. Download the installer from mathworks.com/downloads for the release you want.
2. Run the installer, then sign in to your MathWorks Account and accept the license agreement.
3. Using the Advanced Options dropdown menu, select “I want to download without installing”.
   

Confirm the destination folder. Make note of the folder it is selecting, since you will need to run the newly created installer from this folder later on.

Next, select the platform of the offline computer: Windows, Linux, or macOS.

Select each product which you want to install then click “Begin Download”.

Concurrent and Network Named User licenses only:

Skip steps 2 and 3 below, the person(s) maintaining the Network License Manager must provide you with a license.dat/network.lic file and File Installation Key instead. See: Who is my License Administrator?

If you are a License Administrator and are looking for your File Installation Key, see:Where can I find the Activation Key and File Installation Key (FIK) for my license?

Step 2. Retrieve the Volume Serial Number/MAC Address and Login Name of the Offline Computer.

Windows

1. Open Windows Command Prompt. You can accomplish this by opening the Windows Start Menu, typing in "Command Prompt" and opening the first result.
2. Enter vol c: and then press Enter on keyboard to get the Volume Serial Number.
   
3. Enter echo %username% to get the computer login name.
   

macOS

1. To get the MAC address, open Terminal and enter ifconfig en0 | grep ether.
2. Enter whoami  to get the computer login name.

Linux

1. To get the MAC Address, open a Bash shell and enter ip addr | grep ether to obtain a MAC address.
2. Enter whoami  to get the computer login name.

Step 3. Activate the Offline Computer to retrieve the File Installation Key (FIK) and the License File.

Individual and Designated Computer licenses:

1. Navigate to the License Center and login with your MathWorks account.
2. Click the license number, then “Install and Activate”, then “Activate a Computer”.
3. Paste the MAC address from Step 1 in the “Host ID” field, then paste the username in the “Computer Login Name” field and click continue.
4. Download the license.lic file and take note of the FIK.

Step 4. Transfer all 3 prerequisites to offline computer: Offline Installation Files, License File and FIK.

Install Procedure on the Offline/Destination Computer

Step 1. Run the Installer from the Offline Installation files that you downloaded from Step 1. If you downloaded the ISO, run the installer from there. If you used the download-only option from the original installer, make sure that you run the newly created offline installer. This is typically located in your Downloads folder in a sub-folder called "MathWorks".

The installer file for the target platform is in the root of the offline installation files folder:

• Windows— setup.exe
• Linux—install
• macOS—InstallForMacOSX

Step 2. Use the “Advanced Options” dropdown menu.

• Select, "I have a File Installation Key".

Step 3. Agree to the license agreement. 

Step 4. Enter File Installation Key. 

Step 5. Click “Browse” to select the License File. 

Step 6. Select Destination Folder. 

• Accept the default installation folder or click Browse to select a different one.

Step 7. Select Products

• The Product Selection list shows all the products associated with the File Installation Key you specified. Check the box next to each product you want to install.

Step 8. Shortcut Options

• Windows — You can add shortcuts for MATLAB in the Start Menu and on the Desktop.
• Linux — You can choose to create a symbolic link to run MATLAB from any directory.

Step 9. Confirm Selections and Begin Installation

[Walter Roberson]

Please contact Mathworks for free installation support.

Mathworks Support seldom reads messages posted here.

[Walter Roberson]

See https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101103-how-do-i-download-a-matlab-iso-archive

[Walter Roberson]

I started writing up step by step instructions, but I encountered an incompatibility in installing onto Big Sur when going through the process. The incompatibility does not appear to affect the case where the installation onto Big Sur is done directly (with an internet connection.)

[Walter Roberson]

@Brian Schneider

For which operating system?

[Walter Roberson]

@Roshan Sharma

According to

https://www.mathworks.com/help/install/ug/download-without-installing.html#mw_b84a8c24-7cd5-4190-adb1-a7a9f705d97e

the Linux installer is named "install"

Answer 2

[dd]

I have wasted one week , just for install matlab on linux .

I have tried ALL ALL ALL methods answered here, but it is still could installed in linux ???

why ?

why?

why ??!!!

[Steven Lord]

Since you've tried all the suggestions given in this Answer, please contact Technical Support using the Contact Us link in the upper-right corner of this page. Reference this Answer in your support request and describe what happened when you tried each suggestion (it's possible that the steps for one or more of the suggestions need to be updated, and knowing what happened when you tried the existing steps might indicate that) and work with the Support staff to determine the right steps that will let you install on your Linux machine.

[Walter Roberson]

Jack: what would you propose that would permit Mathworks to distinguish between "paying customers -- like us" and those who are not in fact paying customers and are instead trying to run MATLAB for free without a license?

Mathworks has a continued problem with people wanting to pirate their software. It is considered a truism in the software industry that every license validation mechanism must end up inconveniencing legitimate users.

Literally the only way that I have ever heard of to prevent license validation problems is for the software to have no license protection mechanisms at all, and hope that people are still willing to pay for what they can copy for free.

Answer 3

[Roger Burchett]

Sure you can install and use matlab for free! You just have to be willing to be a criminal theif and steal the license from a shady torrent site that will most likely include a trojan virus along with it. Barring that, If you are a student at a graduate college, ask the school for a copy. Most of them pay for a site license that covers all of their students educational uses.