Why does MATLAB crash on my Linux system with a System::_utException or System::SimpleException error?

When starting MATLAB on my Linux system I receive the following error:

ERROR: terminate called after throwing an instance of 'MathWorks::System::_utException'
Abort

The error may also appear as the following:

ERROR: terminate called after throwing an instance of 'MathWorks::System::SimpleException'
Abort

How can I bypass this error so that I can start MATLAB?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This error can occur when the pseudo terminal and serial interface devices (/dev/ptyp, /dev/pts, and/or /dev/ttyp) are not mounted, or are mounted without the proper permissions. This commonly occurs in CHROOT partitions as it is a protected environment. If you are using a CHROOT partition, see the related solution 1-1B3HE: "How do I run MATLAB inside a CHROOT partition?"

If MATLAB is not installed in a CHROOT partition and you are experiencing this error, check to see if /dev/pts is mounted on your system. To do so, simply run the command:

mount

You should see a line with the following (or something similar)

devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=620)

This will indicate that /dev/pts is mounted. If not, you can add the following line to your /etc/rc.local file:

mount -t devpts devpts /dev/pts

Once complete, /dev/pts should be mounted the next boot.

Once mounted, try MATLAB again. If it still fails to start, try running MATLAB as root (if possible). If it starts normally, the permissions to the pty and tty devices may not be set correctly for users. You will need to refer to your specific distribution to find the proper permissions for these devices.

You may also be able to resolve this error by running the following command as root:

chmod o+rw /dev/ttyp* /dev/ptyp*

If you are still unable to start MATLAB after following these steps, contact installation support here:

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html