Matlab startup hangs

I've had this problem on both a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. Today, it is a nice fresh install of Matlab_R2011b on my relatively new and uptodate MacBook Pro. When I try to start up Matlab, it starts the X server, gets part of the way there, and then hangs. In the menu bar, I see "Matlab", but no further menus, and no window. In /var/system.log, I see:

StartMATLAB[0]: 2011-11-30 14:46:29.899 MATLAB[21854:617] Process manager already initialized -- can't fully enable headless mode.

The Matlab icon is present, the dock tells me matlab is running, but no window appears.

I used to get this on a MacBook running R2007b. I used to work around it by closing everything I had open, restarting, and launching Matlab as the first programme. I am no longer willing to do that, as it costs me about an hour each time, and I lose track of my work in dozens of other programs.

Is there a way around this infuriating glitch? Help greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

[Thomas]

As far as I know, MATLAB R2011b does not initallize the X Server on MATLAB as it used to do upto R2010a . Are you sure you are opening the correct MATLAB version and not the old version.

Try intiallizing matlab from terminal:

cd /Applications/MATLAB_R2011b.app/bin ./matlab

[Miriam]

Worked for me for MATLAB 2019b after trying all kinds of things including upgrading from 2018b. Thanks a bunch. I removed the older version and also put the new on in /Applications. But this was the only thing that worked after all that. It is no longer "not responding" or hanging.

Answer 2

[Fred]

Fixed. The installation assured me it was removing the old version, but it seems not to have done so! And the new one doesn't use X11.

Many thanks!