Can I run an application created with MATLAB Compiler on Linux without X11 or a display?

I want to create an application with MATLAB Compiler and run it on a Linux machine which does not have a monitor. The machine may not have X11 installed either.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

MATLAB Compiler Runtime (MCR) can be installed on a computer which does not have a display. Compiled application should execute as normal. Running MATLAB with no display is a supported configuration on Linux, so this will also work with compiled application. 

An application can be run without a display by using the "-nodisplay" flag at runtime or the "-R -nodisplay" flag at compile time.

It is possible to install the MCR without an X11 server installed by starting the MCR installer in silent mode:

 

https://www.mathworks.com/help/compiler_sdk/ml_code/install-the-matlab-runtime.html#d120e5873

 

However, the MCR links to X11 libraries at runtime so it is not possible to run an application without having X11 libraries installed, even if the "-nodisplay" flag is used.

To work around this problem you can either:

1) Install the X11 libraries libXt.so, libXmu.so and libXp.so using the distribution package manager.

2) Include the necessary X11 libraries from the development machine alongside your deployed application. Putting the libraries in the same folder as the application will allow the computer to locate the libraries without altering the library search path.

 

[Jonathan]

You may also compile using "mcc -R -nodisplay ..." so that it will not complain in the absence of an X11 display.