1. Create a MATLAB .desktop File
First, check if a MATLAB .desktop file already exists in /usr/share/applications/ or ~/.local/share/applications/. If it doesn't, you'll need to create one.
- Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T).
- Create a new .desktop file for MATLAB. Replace <MATLAB_VERSION> with your MATLAB version (e.g., R2021b) and <YOUR_USERNAME> with your actual username.
nano ~/.local/share/applications/matlab.desktop
Add the following content to the file. Adjust the paths if your MATLAB installation is in a different location.
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=MATLAB
Icon=/usr/local/MATLAB/<MATLAB_VERSION>/toolbox/matlab/icons/Matlab_Logo.png
Exec=/usr/local/MATLAB/<MATLAB_VERSION>/bin/matlab -desktop
Comment=Start MATLAB - The Language of Technical Computing
Categories=Development;
Terminal=false
Save and close the editor (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).
2. Associate .m Files with MATLAB
- Still in the terminal, set MATLAB as the default application for .m files using the mime-type association.
mimeopen -d ~/example.m
You'll see a prompt asking you to choose an application. If MATLAB is listed, select it by typing its number. If it's not listed, select the option to use a custom command, and enter the command you used in the Exec field of the MATLAB .desktop file.
3. Check the Association
Double-click an .m file in your file manager to check if it now opens in MATLAB.
Troubleshooting
- If MATLAB still doesn't show up in the "Open With" list, try logging out and logging back in, or rebooting your system.
- Ensure the .desktop file's Exec path correctly points to your MATLAB installation, and that the command works when entered in the terminal.
- If double-clicking opens MATLAB but not the specific file, MATLAB's desktop startup options may need to be adjusted or it could be a limitation of how MATLAB handles file opening arguments from the desktop environment.
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