Just FYI, I'm running MATLAB 24a for macos (Apple Silicon) on Sonoma 14.4 on a MacBook Pro M1 Max machine with no issues, so if that is an option for you, consider that approach. If you prefer to run MATLAB 23b, based on other posts on answers, it looks like that may also be fine on recent (14.3+) versions of macos Sonoma.
For the issue you are seeing here, we don't have the details of your machine and macos. When I put the error message "fork: Resource temporarily unavailable" into ChatGPT, it says this message indicates your machine is hitting a user or system-wide limit. ChatGPT produces a bunch of suggestions. I'll point out that one of the suggestions is to reboot the machine. As usual with generative AI, these suggestions may or may not be correct, but perhaps something here will help.
If this answer helps you, please remember to accept the answer.
From ChatGPT:
The error message "fork: Resource temporarily unavailable" on macOS usually indicates that your system has reached the maximum limit of processes or threads that can be simultaneously executed by the user or system-wide. This can happen for various reasons, such as having too many applications open, scripts spawning too many processes, or system settings limiting the number of processes to a lower threshold than needed.
Here are several steps to diagnose and potentially resolve the issue:
1. Check and Increase the Maximum Processes Limit
macOS has limits on the number of processes that can be run at the same time. You can check and adjust these limits.
- Check the current limit: Open the Terminal (bash) and run "ulimit -a". Look for max user processes to see the current limit.
- Increase the limit temporarily: To temporarily increase this limit for the current terminal session, you can run "ulimit -u 2048". Adjust 2048 to a higher number if needed, but be cautious not to set it too high as it could affect system stability.
- Increase the limit permanently: For a more permanent solution, you might need to edit or create limit configuration files like /etc/sysctl.conf or /etc/launchd.conf and add or modify lines such as "kern.maxproc=2048" and "kern.maxprocperuid=1024"
After editing, you'll need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
2. Check for Runaway Processes
Sometimes, specific applications or scripts might create too many processes, consuming all available system resources.
- List processes: Use ps aux or top command to see all running processes and identify if any application is spawning too many processes.
- Kill runaway processes: If you identify processes that shouldn't be running or are taking up too many resources, you can kill them using the kill command followed by the process ID (PID).
3. System Configuration and Health
- Restart your computer: If you haven't already, try restarting your computer. This can often resolve issues by clearing out any stuck processes and freeing up system resources.
- Check for updates: Ensure your macOS and all applications are up to date. Sometimes, bugs that cause these issues are fixed in newer versions.
- Check system logs: The Console app provides access to system logs, which can offer clues about what might be causing the issue.
4. Seek Specific Solutions
- If MATLAB specifically is causing issues, consider checking MATLAB's official forums or contacting their support. There might be known issues with specific versions of MATLAB and macOS.
5. Hardware Limitations
- Although less likely, if you're consistently hitting resource limits, it might be a sign that your hardware is not sufficient for the tasks you're trying to perform. Consider closing unnecessary applications or upgrading your hardware if possible.
By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve the "fork: Resource temporarily unavailable" error on macOS.
