How do I install apps on linux as a student

I have matlab installed on my pc using a student license, which means it required a user to be selected, of course I am using my normal user as I don't want matlab to have root priveleges however when installing apps this has issues and does not install because of permissions is there anyway to have 2 users allowed to have root priveleges when I need to install something

I am using Ubuntu 22.04LTS - trying to install simscape at this point in time in R2022b

I did use chmod 777 on MATLAB's folder but then when I commenced the install it started but crashed and I got the very informative error of "Something Unexpected Occurred"

Answer 1

[Adithya]

It is generally not recommended to give a non-administrator user account root privileges, as it can lead to security vulnerabilities and may cause unexpected behavior. Instead, you can try using the "sudo" command in the terminal to run the installation with root privileges.

Here's how you can install Simscape with root privileges using sudo:

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Navigate to the folder where the installation file for Simscape is located.
3. Type the following command and press Enter: sudo ./<installer_filename>.sh
4. Enter your password when prompted.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Make sure to replace <installer_filename> with the actual name of the installer file for Simscape.

If you continue to experience issues with the installation, it may be helpful to check the installation log for any error messages. You can typically find the installation log in the installation folder or in a temporary folder.

[Mark Nothdurft]

ok thanks, I was reading through other questions and a suggestion by staff before was to reinstall matworks so I am just doing that instead

Answer 2

[Jestzer]

Root is an entirely separate account on Linux, so no, you can't have 2 users with root privileges because there is only one root user. You can use sudo if you need to run a single command as root.

Just because you're installing as root doesn't mean another user can't then use MATLAB. It is also frowned upon in the Linux community to be running GUI programs as root, so either you could give your normal user permissions to the folder where you want to install MATLAB or you could use MATLAB Package Manager to install as root instead. You'll have to activate yourself after installation and create your own symbolic links, but it'll be good Linux practice.

Another frowned upon practice in the Linux communtiy is using chmod 777. This is the least secure permissions you can have setup and sounds like you didn't need to do it anyway, since it sounds like you were just modifying the installer directory.