Unable to open this file in the current system configuration. When opening a file

Running on Fedora 36, Matlab R2022a can not open a script in the editor with the afforementioned error. Deleting and creating files works, so it has access to the filesystem. The question has been asked before but on old threads with older systems and I can not find the libraries mentioned in answers.

Running the script with the drop down menu works, its just opening it in the editor.

[Scott Hinton]

I have the same issue with 2022b on Fedora 36. So far none of the standard recommendations (e.g. 'install gcnof2-devel' or 'remove /bin/glnx64/libcrypto.so.1...') have worked. When I clicked on a link to a script in the command window (link was generated by script that tried to load a missing file), it caused an empty pop-up window with the following Java runtime exception in the command window:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0": java.lang.NullPointerException
	at com.mathworks.help.helpui.DocRoot.buildDocPageUrl(DocRoot.java:44)
	at com.mathworks.help.helpui.DocPageUrlBuilder.buildDocPageUrl(DocPageUrlBuilder.java:25)
	at com.mathworks.help.helpui.DocPageUrlBuilder.buildFileUrl(DocPageUrlBuilder.java:21)
	at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.LightweightHelpPanel$JsHelpPanelClientRunnable.getUrlToLoad(LightweightHelpPanel.java:256)
	at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.LightweightHelpPanel$JsHelpPanelClientRunnable.run(LightweightHelpPanel.java:234)
	at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java:311)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:758)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:97)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:703)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:74)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:728)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:205)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)

[John Williams]

I have the same problem too. I have resorted to using a text editor and then typing the name of the file into the Matlab command line. Not optimal since it is difficult to set debug points in a text file. I am having a related problem(I think) that Matlab will not save my preferences after I hit the apply button. They are saved for the remainder of the session but if I quit Matlab then the preferences are gone when I re-open Matlab.

[Peter]

I also have the same issue. No clue what to do to solve this. I can create folders and files fine, but when I try to open in the editor it just doesn't work.

[Marcel]

Not sure but maybe the file is being opened somewhere or kept open and without a filestream being closed?

[Walter Roberson]

Could this be the same problem as the failures of /tmp on some versions of Linux? Where /tmp now appears as-if it were a cross-device link?

[Marcel]

i havent encountered such an issue on my linux servers at least, tho im using debian. i often have file permission errors on my linux system, so from time to time i have to do a chown command followed by a chmod command for my web server file root.

Maybe such a file permission error is your cause as well? maybe matlab tries to load something it doesnt has access to, assuming you're running it on linux.

[Matthias Maile]

Yeah I also thought about file access right related reasons, i.e. SELinux in the case of Fedora. I might look into some tests for it, so far I am editing the files in an external editor and run them in Matlab

[Marcel]

i see. i wish you good luck and if you find a solution let me know :P

[et11mpn]

I had the same problem, with Matlab R2022a (and b) on Debian bookworm/sid. I don't know exactly what made it work, so I'll just tell you the story:

Tried a bunch of different things, such as going into <matlab path>/bin/glnxa64/ and moving libfreetype* into a separate directory ("exclude"). Nothing worked. Then I saw someone say that you can start matlab with "./matlab -logfile &" to get a log file with the errors in. I tried this and it gave me a warning that it didn't recognize the option "logfile". Shut it down and tried "./matlab -logfile mylog.txt &". This time it didn't give a warning, so I went ahead and tried recreating the error with opening the text editor, so that I could see the details in the log file. But the error wasn't there anymore... Running "edit" just opened the editor with no complaint. This was R2022b. I changed folder to R2022a and tried the same thing, starting with "./matlab -logfile mylog.txt &". Again, the editor was suddenly working. Shut it down and tried just "./matlab &", and the editor was working.. The problem just dissappeared after using the logfile option.

[Julija]

im also having this problem with my Fedora. the logfile trick didnt work for me.. any ideas ?

[Michael Deakin]

I got matlab to work when I had this issue by preloading libfreetype.so:

LD_PRELOAD="/usr/lib64/libfreetype.so.6" ~/matlab/bin/matlab

Note that this also fixes an issue installing matlab. This affects me on an up to date installation of Fedora Linux 36.

[Marcel]

wow im surprised that you came back to it. i know many people who wouldnt bother with posting the solution. big respect

Answer 1

[Samuel Bignardi]

The problem for me started after upgrading Fedora from 35 to 36.

I started matlam in log mode using ./matlab -logfile mylog.log,

Then I recreated the problem and checked the mylog.log file (was written in my /home folder). The error that caused the issue was: "Warning: The desktop configuration file is corrupt or improperly formatted.".

I found the solution on the Matlab official Q&A (link below), it consisted in using two commands:

cd <matlab_root>/bin/glnxa64/
mv libfreetype.so.6 libfreetype.so.6.old

I found the solution online here: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1779395-the-desktop-configuration-file-is-corrupt-or-improperly-formatted-when-starting-matlab

Hope this helps!

[Matthias Maile]

Thank you very much, it solved it for me as well, definitely helpful for future Fedora updates