Why do I get a segmentation fault when I try to start MATLAB on Ubuntu 15.04 or newer?

When I try to start MATLAB on Ubuntu 15.04 or newer, it crashes with a segmentation fault.

Why does this happen, and how can I resolve this issue?

Stack Trace (from fault):
[  0] 0x00007fe176d928ba                        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2+00051386
[  1] 0x00007fe176d9b4b1                        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2+00087217
[  2] 0x00007fe176d96464                        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2+00066660
[  3] 0x00007fe176d9a9a3                        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2+00084387
[  4] 0x00007fe17517afc9                   /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2+00004041
[  5] 0x00007fe176d96464                        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2+00066660
[  6] 0x00007fe17517b62d                   /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2+00005677
[  7] 0x00007fe17517b061                   /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2+00004193 dlopen+00000049
[  8] 0x00007fe1715a100a      /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libut.so+00311306
[  9] 0x00007fe16c9567e5 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_dispatcher.so+00456677
[ 10] 0x00007fe16c9491af /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_dispatcher.so+00401839 _ZN13Mlm_MATLAB_fn8try_loadEv+00000031
[ 11] 0x00007fe16c940ae5 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_dispatcher.so+00367333 _ZN13Mlm_MATLAB_fn4loadEv+00000037
[ 12] 0x00007fe16c93db09 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_dispatcher.so+00355081 _ZN13Mfh_MATLAB_fn11dispatch_fhEiPP11mxArray_tagiS2_+00000057
[ 13] 0x00007fe1670118af /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+08612015
[ 14] 0x00007fe1671357ff /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+09807871
[ 15] 0x00007fe16712b47f /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+09766015
[ 16] 0x00007fe1670f8981 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+09558401
[ 17] 0x00007fe166d5ad6c /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+05766508
[ 18] 0x00007fe166d454c1 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+05678273
[ 19] 0x00007fe166d54075 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+05738613
[ 20] 0x00007fe166f25033 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07643187
[ 21] 0x00007fe166eecc40 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07412800
[ 22] 0x00007fe166eef078 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07422072
[ 23] 0x00007fe166eef140 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07422272
[ 24] 0x00007fe166f666bc /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07911100
[ 25] 0x00007fe166f66abc /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_lxe.so+07912124
[ 26] 0x00007fe16bec8d0d /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwm_interpreter.so+02600205 _Z51inEvalCmdWithLocalReturnInDesiredWSAndPublishEventsRKSbIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEPibbP15inWorkSpace_tag+00000077
[ 27] 0x00007fe16dac3a12   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwiqm.so+00915986 _ZNK3iqm18InternalEvalPlugin24inEvalCmdWithLocalReturnERKSbIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEP15inWorkSpace_tag+00000098
[ 28] 0x00007fe16dac3bd8   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwiqm.so+00916440 _ZN3iqm18InternalEvalPlugin7executeEP15inWorkSpace_tagRN5boost10shared_ptrIN14cmddistributor17IIPCompletedEventEEE+00000120
[ 29] 0x00007fe1423533b2 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libnativejmi.so+00861106 _ZN9nativejmi21JmiInternalEvalPlugin7executeEP15inWorkSpace_tagRN5boost10shared_ptrIN14cmddistributor17IIPCompletedEventEEE+00000274
[ 30] 0x00007fe142378565 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libnativejmi.so+01013093 _ZN3mcr3mvm27McrSwappingIqmPluginAdapterIN9nativejmi21JmiInternalEvalPluginEE7executeEP15inWorkSpace_tagRN5boost10shared_ptrIN14cmddistributor17IIPCompletedEventEEE+00000437
[ 31] 0x00007fe16dabd1c6   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwiqm.so+00889286
[ 32] 0x00007fe16daaa645   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwiqm.so+00812613
[ 33] 0x00007fe168625bf9 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwbridge.so+00146425
[ 34] 0x00007fe1686261f4 /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwbridge.so+00147956
[ 35] 0x00007fe16862b6cd /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwbridge.so+00169677
[ 36] 0x00007fe16862b7bc /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwbridge.so+00169916
[ 37] 0x00007fe16862bead /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwbridge.so+00171693 _Z8mnParserv+00000749
[ 38] 0x00007fe16cc7eb4f   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00686927 _ZN11mcrInstance30mnParser_on_interpreter_threadEv+00000031
[ 39] 0x00007fe16cc6b443   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00607299
[ 40] 0x00007fe16cc6ba39   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00608825 _ZN5boost6detail11task_objectIvNS_3_bi6bind_tIvPFvRKNS_8functionIFvvEEEENS2_5list1INS2_5valueIS6_EEEEEEE6do_runEv+00000025
[ 41] 0x00007fe16cc6cf47   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00614215 _ZN5boost6detail9task_baseIvE3runEv+00000071
[ 42] 0x00007fe16cc6cfa7   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00614311
[ 43] 0x00007fe16cc682fa   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00594682
[ 44] 0x00007fe1606296b6   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwuix.so+00313014
[ 45] 0x00007fe16060f862   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwuix.so+00206946
[ 46] 0x00007fe16d5fe0df /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwservices.so+03002591
[ 47] 0x00007fe16d5fe24c /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwservices.so+03002956
[ 48] 0x00007fe16d5ffd9f /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwservices.so+03009951
[ 49] 0x00007fe16d60084c /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwservices.so+03012684 _Z25svWS_ProcessPendingEventsiib+00000092
[ 50] 0x00007fe16cc689b8   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00596408
[ 51] 0x00007fe16cc68cd4   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00597204
[ 52] 0x00007fe16cc54fed   /usr/local/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00516077
[ 53] 0x00007fe1759506aa              /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0+00030378
[ 54] 0x00007fe175685eed                    /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6+01076973 clone+00000109
[ 55] 0x0000000000000000                                   <unknown-module>+00000000

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This is a known issue that affects MATLAB R2015a through R2016a on Ubuntu 15.04 and newer.

The issue also affects Ubuntu derivatives (e.g. Kubuntu).

To work around this issue, please see the following external bug report: https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1297894

[Abhishek Pandey]

Hi Kushal,

If you still need help with this, please contact MathWorks Technical Support.

- Abhishek

[Kevin Gleason]

@qq, judging by your crash log, it looks this could be a different installation issue. You should file a crash report at:

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

[Kevin Gleason]

@Anton,

Workaround

You can force MATLAB to load the newer version of the library provided by the operating system, by following these instructions:

1. Identify the location where MATLAB is installed
2. Navigate to the sys/os/glnxa64 directory within this installation folder
3. Rename libstdc++.so.6 library to libstdc++.so.6.old

We have done limited testing with version 20 of libstdc++.so.6. If you experience problems with MATLAB when using this version, please contact MathWorks technical support.