MATLAB crash when I type in the editor

I'm using MATLAB R2023b in ubuntu 20.04. When I type around "syspara.center", MATLAB is turned off suddenlly. This can be reproduced on my computer. I asked chatgpt, it suggested me to turn off auto-completion, which seems to solve my problem but I'm not sure whether it will occur in the future.

Answer 1

[Simar]

Hi Yifei,

I understand that you are encountering an issue with MATLAB R2023b on Ubuntu 20.04 where MATLAB unexpectedly shuts down when typing something like "syspara.center" in the MATLAB environment.

Disabling auto-completion has temporarily resolved the issue which suggests there might be a problem related to the auto-completion feature. However, turning off auto-completion is more of a workaround than a permanent solution, as auto-completion can significantly enhance coding efficiency.Here are some steps to further investigate and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Clear MATLAB Cache: Clearing cache might resolve unexpected behaviour as sometimes internal cache can get corrupted. Do this by deleting the .matlab directory in home folder, but note that this will reset MATLAB preferences to their defaults:

rm -rf ~/.matlab 

2.Use MATLAB's Diagnostic Features: MATLAB has diagnostic tools to help identify issues. Running MATLAB in debug mode from the terminal might provide more insight into what is causing the crash:

matlab -Dgdb 

This command runs MATLAB under the GNU Debugger (GDB), which could help identify the cause of the crash. Note that using GDB requires some familiarity with debugging C/C++ programs.

3. Graphics Driver Update: Since MATLAB relies heavily on graphics operations, especially within its editor and UI components, outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can cause issues. Ensure system's graphics drivers are updated. For Ubuntu, update drivers using the Software & Updates application under the Additional Drivers tab. Alternatively, use terminal commands to update system drivers.

4. Re-enable Auto-Completion Cautiously: Consider re-enabling it and then closely monitoring if the issue reoccurs. If it does, report the specifics of the crash to MathWorks support for further assistance. Gather any crash reports or error logs generated by MATLAB, which can be found in the MATLAB_Crash_Dump file located in the MATLAB preferences directory.

Please refer to the following links-

• Crash Dump Files-https://www.mathworks.com/support/search.html/answers/100816-how-do-i-locate-the-crash-dump-files-generated-by-matlab.html?fq%5B%5D=asset_type_name:answer&fq%5B%5D=category:matlab/startup-and-shutdown&page=1
• MathWorks Support- https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

Hope it helps!

Best Regards,

Simar