Is there a way to remotely push/deploy addons to already installed Matlab deployments without rerunning the installer?

As the title suggests, I have already deployed Matlab to all labs, I got a request to install a single addon to all the lab computers, is there a way to remotely push an addon to all at once? The toolbox in question is the Symbolic Math Toolbox.

Answer 1

[Aravind]

Hi @Luke,

It is possible to remotely deploy add-ons to already installed MATLAB deployments without rerunning the installer. The steps to do so are as follows:

• Download the Add-On Package: Start by downloading the Symbolic Math Toolbox package from the MathWorks website or using MATLAB's Add-On Explorer on a machine with internet access.
• Distribute the Package: Share the downloaded package with all the lab computers. You can use a network share, a script, or a deployment tool like SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) to copy the package to each machine.
• Install the Add-On via Command Line: On each lab computer, use MATLAB's command line to install the add-on. You can automate this process with a script. The command to install an add-on from a file is:

matlab.addons.install('path_to_toolbox_file.mltbx');

• You can use the “-batch” option to run MATLAB commands non-interactively. For more details, refer to this documentation: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_env/commonly-used-startup-options.html.
• Deploy the Script: Create a script that runs this command and deploy it to all lab computers. Use remote execution tools like PowerShell, SSH, or any other remote management tool to run the script on each machine.
• Verify Installation: After installation, verify that the Symbolic Math Toolbox is correctly installed and enabled on each machine. You can do this by running a simple MATLAB script that uses a function from the toolbox, such as “syms”, or by running the following command to list all installed add-ons and check if the “Symbolic Math Toolbox” is listed

matlab.addons.installedAddons

I hope this answers your question.

[Luke]

Appreciate the help Aravind.

Im having a bit of trouble trying to download the addons. Can you point to where I can download the add on from the website? I couldn't seem to find it on my end.

I also tried downloading it from a fresh Matlab install, but could not find a download option in the add-ons explorer. I was able to install it manually properly through Matlab, but then I check the preferences in the Environment tab under the installation folder for addons, and the default folder for matlab addons does not exist: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\MathWorks\MATLAB Add-Ons.

Thanks,

Luke