MATLABWebUI process on Linux

I am running Matlab 2024a interactively and with the desktop GUI on Linux (Rocky Linux 9) and I can see the MATLABWebUI process running in the background. This process is very resource-hungry, so I was wondering if it's possible to run Matlab desktop interactively on Linux without this process. I have not had this issue with older versions of Matlab.

Note that I have read the answer here and I don't understand it. I don't understand what 'batch mode' is referring to in this answer, in my case the issuie arises when running Matlab interactively.

Thanks

Answer 1

[Abhishek Kumar Singh]

Hi @Angela,

The MATLABWebUI process is a component that handles communication between the MATLAB desktop and web-based UI components, such as the App Designer and Simulink. This process can be resource-intensive, especially when running MATLAB interactively with the desktop GUI.

Batch mode refers to running MATLAB scripts or functions without the interactive desktop environment. This is typically done using the -batch command-line option, which allows MATLAB to execute commands without launching the full GUI, thus avoiding the MATLABWebUI process.

Running MATLAB Without MATLABWebUI

Unfortunately, when running MATLAB interactively with the desktop GUI, the MATLABWebUI process is necessary for the proper functioning of web-based UI components. This process is a Java-based Chromium Browser (JCEF) process responsible for running MATLAB’s UI. JCEF is known to require a significant amount of virtual memory, which explains the spike in memory consumption. These processes are used for editor rendering and other windows in MATLAB, such as the add-ons explorer. Every editor window is a “MATLABWebUI” process, hence the high memory usage.

However, there are a few strategies you can try to mitigate the resource usage:

1-> Disable Unnecessary Toolboxes: If you are not using certain toolboxes that rely on web-based UI components, consider disabling them to reduce the load.

2-> Use Command-Line Interface: For tasks that do not require the full GUI, consider using MATLAB in command-line mode. This can be done by launching MATLAB with the -nodesktop option, which provides a command-line interface without the full desktop environment. You can start MATLAB with the -nodesktop flag by running the following command in the terminal

$ matlab -nodesktop

If these suggestions do not resolve the issue, you might want to reach out to MathWorks support for more tailored advice at https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html. They can provide specific guidance based on your use case and system configuration.

Hope this helps!

[Angela]

Hi,

Thank you for the answer. I'd like to follow up with a couple more questions if that's OK:

1) Which are the toolboxes that require the MATLABWebUI processes?

2) Our installation is on a multi-user system on a network license. Is it possible for users to disable toolboxes as required within their own sessions or do these need to be disabled by the administrator?

Also, does disabling a toolbox require uninstalling it altogether or can it be disabled/enabled as required when launching the application?

Thanks again.

Angela

[Abhishek Kumar Singh]

Hi @Angela,

The MATLABWebUI process is commonly associated with web-based or GUI-heavy functionalities. Specific toolboxes that require this process often include MATLAB Online Server (for web-based interactive sessions) Simulink and some Simulink add-ons MATLAB App Designer (for creating web apps) MATLAB Web Apps Server, etc. I couldn't find an exhaustive list on MATLAB documentation.

While not every toolbox uses MATLABWebUI directly, any toolbox that relies on HTML, web content, or interactive web-based interfaces could spawn this process.

I am not sure whether MATLAB provides a native way for users to disable toolboxes individually within their own sessions on a network installation. It's best to check with your system administrator for managing toolbox access.

As far as I know there is no "on-the-fly" enabling or disabling mechanism at the toolbox level that a regular user can trigger on their own https://www.mathworks.com/help/install/ug/uninstall-matlab-toolboxes-and-support-packages.html .

For more information and better guidance, contact MathWorks Technical Support at: https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html