Why does the installer give an error saying the directory jre does not exist on Linux?

I downloaded the Linux installation files. When I execute the installer, I get the following error:

 The directory /home/user/Downloads/matlab-linux/sys/java/jre/glnx86/jre does not exist.

OR

 The directory /home/user/Downloads/matlab-linux/sys/java/jre/glnxa64/jre does not exist ERROR: 

 After checking, it appears that the other directory exists.

 /home/user/Downloads/matlab-linux/sys/java/jre/glnxa64/jre

 OR

 /home/user/Downloads/matlab-linux/sys/java/jre/glnx86/jre

 How do I run the installer successfully?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This error can occur if you download and try to run the 64 bit Linux installation files on a 32 bit Linux operating system, or if you attempt to run the 32 bit installation files on a 64 bit linux operating system. To check and see if the version of Linux is 32-bit or 64-bit, run the following command in a Terminal:

uname -a

If you see i386 or i686, this indicates you are on a 32-bit version of Linux. If you see ia64 or x86_64, then this is a 64-bit version of Linux.

It is possible to install the 32 bit version of MATLAB on 64 bit linux - please see the related solutions below for more information.