How do I properly install Matlab Engine using the anaconda package manager for Python?

At the moment, I'm running Python 3.5 and Matlab R2015a on a 64-bit Windows 10 laptop. I'm using Anaconda as my Python package manager and want to run some Matlab scripts from Python using . I've used the classic Anaconda command to install Matlab engine:

conda install matlab_engine

However, even after Matlab engine has supposedly been installed, I get an error message whenever I type in the following command to Python.

import matlab.engine

The error just reads "no module called matlab". I'm really unsure of what to do. Am I doing something blatantly incorrect or is there another way I can install Matlab engine.

Thank you for your help.

[Jon]

When I try to run your

conda install matlab_engine

command, I get a PackageNotFoundError, and it doesn't install. Are you sure it's installed?

Answer 1

[Eli127]

Open Anaconda Prompt (make sure you have the correct python version):

cd matlabroot\extern\engines\python
python setup.py install

'matlabroot' is your MATLAB root directory. In my case it is 'C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2018a'

[Alan Akin]

But then what? I have the same problem as Jon. Now it is year 2019

[Eli127]

Did you get exactly the same error as Jon? Try following the steps in this post.

[Mostafa Elsaadouny]

You should follow the above mentioned step

cd matlabroot\extern\engines\python

python setup.py install

and then start anaconda and type import matlab.engine, it will definetly work

[Amin Atashnezhad]

I get the following error:

error: You do not have write permission in build\lib\matlab\engine\

any suggestion? can't run as admin!

[wallflower]

I, on the other hand, do not find the directory engines...

Any ideas what I did wrong?

Thanks in advance

[Eli127]

Run matlabroot in MATLAB to find the directory.

[wejden hammami]

what can i do if i have Python 3.7 and matlab R2016a ?

[Adithya Viswanthan]

@Eli127, I am currently using R2018a on MacOS Catalina 10.15.5 and am also using Python 3.7.

I followed the documentation and did the following steps;

cd matlabroot\extern\engines\python
python setup.py install

and i get the following error:

"Traceback (most recent call last):

File "setup.py", line 15, in <module>

'is %s' % _version)

OSError: MATLAB Engine for Python supports Python version 2.7, 3.5 and 3.6 but your version of Python is 3.7"

Do i have to install newer version of MATLAB? 2019 or 2020 to make use of Matlab engine with python 3.7?

Looking forward to a positive response.

[MD. FAHIM SAHARIAR ALAM ABIR]

Try to set up a new environment:

conda create -vv -n jmatlab python=3.5 jupyter

This trick worked for me.

[Trevor Vannoy]

In addition to what MD. FAHIM SAHARIAR ALAM ABIR said about creating a conda environment with the correct version of python for what your version of MATLAB supports, I also needed to change some folder permissions for setup.py to work on Linux. In particular, I had to take ownership of the "build" folder in "matlabroot/extern/engines/python", as running with setup.py with sudo does not keep my conda environment.

In short, here's what I did:

conda create -n matlab python=3.7
conda activate matlab
cd <matlabroot>/extern/engines/python
mkdir build
sudo chmod 777 build
python setup.py install

Doing that, the matlabengine was installed in my conda env's site-packages.

This was based on the following stackoverflow answer.

Answer 2

[Burak]

I think conda doesn't have a package named "matlab_engine".

I was able to run matlab functions within the python. I installed the module with a slight variation on Ubuntu 16.04:

cd matlabroot/extern/engines/python
python setup.py install --prefix "<anaconda installation directory>"

As a general advice, just make sure that matlab module is installed in a folder where your python can see it (i.e. sys.path contains the directory of installation).

[Elizabeth Huaroc]

Thank you! That is exactly the trick! I followed the instructions on the Mathworks website, but before

import matlab.engine

I just add the folder where the matlab module was installed to my sys.path.

Where is my matlab module install?

In the terminal, after

python setup.py install

the installation folder is mentioned. For me it was something like "...anaconda3/lib/python3.8/site-packages".

[Daria Ri]

Thank you! You're a life saver! Worked for me after days of trying

Answer 3

[Ehsan Shahini]

In linux:

First activate your environment:

conda activate

Then simply install the engine:

cd /usr/local/MATLAB/R2020b/extern/engines/python
python setup.py install 

This worked for me.

[Caleb Berggren]

This worked great and was very easy.

Answer 4

[Alberto Bortoni]

This may be a workaround but it def works

To ensure that the right python via anaconda is accesed by matlab (and for that matter other programs)

open the anaconda prompt. activate any environment you desire (or stay in base). Then open matlab from within by typing "matlab" (no quotes)

Answer 5

[Steven Lewis]

I am using MATLAB R2024a and anaconda v24.1.2. I am trying to install matlab.engine on a specific anaconda environment, but when I naviagte to the setup.py file in the matlabroot directory tree I get the error:

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\_distutils\cmd.py:66: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: setup.py install is deprecated.

!!

********************************************************************************

Please avoid running ``setup.py`` directly.

Instead, use pypa/build, pypa/installer or other

standards-based tools.

See https://blog.ganssle.io/articles/2021/10/setup-py-deprecated.html for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self.initialize_options()

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\_distutils\cmd.py:66: EasyInstallDeprecationWarning: easy_install command is deprecated.

!!

********************************************************************************

Please avoid running ``setup.py`` and ``easy_install``.

Instead, use pypa/build, pypa/installer or other

standards-based tools.

See https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/917 for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self.initialize_options()

TEST FAILED: C:Users\steve\.conda\pkgs\Lib\site-packages\ does NOT support .pth files

bad install directory or PYTHONPATH

You are attempting to install a package to a directory that is not

on PYTHONPATH and which Python does not read ".pth" files from. The

installation directory you specified (via --install-dir, --prefix, or

the distutils default setting) was:

C:Users\steve\.conda\pkgs\Lib\site-packages\

and your PYTHONPATH environment variable currently contains:

''

Here are some of your options for correcting the problem:

* You can choose a different installation directory, i.e., one that is

on PYTHONPATH or supports .pth files

* You can add the installation directory to the PYTHONPATH environment

variable. (It must then also be on PYTHONPATH whenever you run

Python and want to use the package(s) you are installing.)

* You can set up the installation directory to support ".pth" files by

using one of the approaches described here:

https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/deprecated/easy_install.html#custom-installation-locations

Please make the appropriate changes for your system and try again.

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\sdist.py:117: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: `build_py` command does not inherit from setuptools' `build_py`.

!!

********************************************************************************

Custom 'build_py' does not implement 'get_data_files_without_manifest'.

Please extend command classes from setuptools instead of distutils.

See https://peps.python.org/pep-0632/ for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self._add_data_files(self._safe_data_files(build_py))

zip_safe flag not set; analyzing archive contents...

matlab.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __file__

matlab.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __path__

matlab.engine.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __file__

(3d_model_analysis) C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2024a\extern\engines\python>python setup.py install --prefix "C:/Users/steve/.conda/pkgs"

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\_distutils\cmd.py:66: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: setup.py install is deprecated.

!!

********************************************************************************

Please avoid running ``setup.py`` directly.

Instead, use pypa/build, pypa/installer or other

standards-based tools.

See https://blog.ganssle.io/articles/2021/10/setup-py-deprecated.html for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self.initialize_options()

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\_distutils\cmd.py:66: EasyInstallDeprecationWarning: easy_install command is deprecated.

!!

********************************************************************************

Please avoid running ``setup.py`` and ``easy_install``.

Instead, use pypa/build, pypa/installer or other

standards-based tools.

See https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/917 for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self.initialize_options()

TEST FAILED: C:Users\steve\.conda\pkgs\Lib\site-packages\ does NOT support .pth files

bad install directory or PYTHONPATH

You are attempting to install a package to a directory that is not

on PYTHONPATH and which Python does not read ".pth" files from. The

installation directory you specified (via --install-dir, --prefix, or

the distutils default setting) was:

C:Users\steve\.conda\pkgs\Lib\site-packages\

and your PYTHONPATH environment variable currently contains:

''

Here are some of your options for correcting the problem:

* You can choose a different installation directory, i.e., one that is

on PYTHONPATH or supports .pth files

* You can add the installation directory to the PYTHONPATH environment

variable. (It must then also be on PYTHONPATH whenever you run

Python and want to use the package(s) you are installing.)

* You can set up the installation directory to support ".pth" files by

using one of the approaches described here:

https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/deprecated/easy_install.html#custom-installation-locations

Please make the appropriate changes for your system and try again.

C:\Users\steve\.conda\envs\3d_model_analysis\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\sdist.py:117: SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning: `build_py` command does not inherit from setuptools' `build_py`.

!!

********************************************************************************

Custom 'build_py' does not implement 'get_data_files_without_manifest'.

Please extend command classes from setuptools instead of distutils.

See https://peps.python.org/pep-0632/ for details.

********************************************************************************

!!

self._add_data_files(self._safe_data_files(build_py))

zip_safe flag not set; analyzing archive contents...

matlab.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __file__

matlab.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __path__

matlab.engine.__pycache__.__init__.cpython-311: module references __file__