Segmentation violation on startup, when missing HOME in env on 2020b

In my organisation we are switching our tool support from matlab 2016a to 2020b. We are calling matlab through a docker, that is currently in a frozen state.

It seems to loses the HOME environment variable when building within our scons environment. Matlab 2016a is unaffected by this.

However, when launching MATLAB 2020b with the unset HOME environment variable (both within and outside the docker, ie. on centos 7.5(docker) and debian 10 (host os)), the program crashes with a segmentation violation:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Segmentation violation detected at 2020-10-22 11:21:17 +0200
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Configuration:
  Crash Decoding           : Disabled - No sandbox or build area path
  Crash Mode               : continue (default)
  Default Encoding         : UTF-8
  Desktop Environment      : XFCE
  GNU C Library            : 2.28 stable
  MATLAB Architecture      : glnxa64
  MATLAB Root              : /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64
  MATLAB Version           : 9.9.0.1467703 (R2020b)
  Operating System         : Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
  Process ID               : 7913
  Processor ID             : x86 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 13, GenuineIntel
  Static TLS mitigation    : Enabled: Full

Fault Count: 1


Abnormal termination:
Segmentation violation

Current Thread: 'MCR Main thread' id 140065066649344

Register State (from fault):
  RAX = 0000000000000000  RBX = 00007f63708ae160
  RCX = 0000000000000000  RDX = 0000000000000000
  RSP = 00007f63708ad808  RBP = 00007f63708ae130
  RSI = 00007f63787d6336  RDI = 0000000000000000

   R8 = 0000000000000001   R9 = 00007f63708adcd0
  R10 = fffffffffffff03d  R11 = 0000000000000002
  R12 = 00007f63708ae140  R13 = 00007f63708ad840
  R14 = 0000000000000001  R15 = 0000000000000000

  RIP = 00007f637893d181  EFL = 0000000000010283

   CS = 0033   FS = 0000   GS = 0000

Stack Trace (from fault):
[  0] 0x00007f637893d181                    /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6+01425793
[  1] 0x00007f63787d4797 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_filesystem.so+00112535
[  2] 0x00007f63787d4de8 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_filesystem.so+00114152 _ZN2fl10filesystem15pathname_traitsIDsE27replace_tilde_with_home_dirERKNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEE+00000056
[  3] 0x00007f63787c8ff4 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_filesystem.so+00065524 _ZN2fl10filesystem6detail16make_native_formERKNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEEb+00000692
[  4] 0x00007f6361284a4b /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/../../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_paths.so+00006731
[  5] 0x00007f6361284f36 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/../../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_paths.so+00007990 _ZN10foundation5paths16getMathWorksPathE12LocationHint+00000070
[  6] 0x00007f63615065e3 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/../../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwmatlabconnectorfolderlocations.so+00005603 _ZN15matlabconnector15folderlocations15FolderLocationsC2ERKN7mwboost8optionalINSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEEEESC_+00000131
[  7] 0x00007f6361506e28 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/../../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwmatlabconnectorfolderlocations.so+00007720 _ZN15matlabconnector15folderlocations15FolderLocationsC2Ev+00000040
[  8] 0x00007f6361861330 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/libmwagentspfframework.so+00213808
[  9] 0x00007f636184c009 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/spf/framework/agent/spf/framework/libmwagentspfframework.so+00126985
[ 10] 0x00007f637488a2d5 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libCppMicroServices.so.3.4.0+00656085
[ 11] 0x00007f637488a9d3 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libCppMicroServices.so.3.4.0+00657875
[ 12] 0x00007f637488aeca /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libCppMicroServices.so.3.4.0+00659146
[ 13] 0x00007f6375999468 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwcppmicroservices.so+00181352 _ZN10foundation16cppmicroservices15installAndStartEN2fl10filesystem10basic_pathIcDsNS2_6detail11path_traitsIcDsEEEE+00000120
[ 14] 0x00007f63618a15d0 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/matlab_startup_plugins/agent/spf/matlabstartup/../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwagentspfframeworksetup.so+00013776 _ZN5agent3spf14frameworksetup14setupFrameworkESt3setINSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEESt4lessIS8_ESaIS8_EESC_+00002384
[ 15] 0x00007f63618a1e77 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/matlab_startup_plugins/agent/spf/matlabstartup/../../../../../../bin/glnxa64/libmwagentspfframeworksetup.so+00015991 _ZN5agent3spf14frameworksetup14setupFrameworkEv+00000103
[ 16] 0x00007f637668eac9 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwstartup_plugin_initializer.so+00527049
[ 17] 0x00007f63766a7333 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwstartup_plugin_initializer.so+00627507
[ 18] 0x00007f63766adcd2 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwstartup_plugin_initializer.so+00654546 _ZN15startup_plugins11initializer10initializeERKNS_14RuntimeOptionsE+00000738
[ 19] 0x00007f6369b6ef66 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwMVMLocal.so+00565094
[ 20] 0x00007f637971f8e0 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwmvm.so+03160288 _ZNK7mwboost9function1IvPN3mvm6detail11SessionImplEEclES4_+00000032
[ 21] 0x00007f637971dc54 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwmvm.so+03152980 _ZN3mvm6detail11SessionImpl4initEv+00000388
[ 22] 0x00007f6369b6d800 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwMVMLocal.so+00559104
[ 23] 0x00007f637971ce86 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwmvm.so+03149446
[ 24] 0x00007f6369b751c7 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwMVMLocal.so+00590279 _ZN7mwboost6detail8function21function_obj_invoker0INS_3_bi6bind_tINS3_11unspecifiedENS_9function1IiRKSt6vectorINSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEESaISD_EEEENS3_5list1INS3_5valueISF_EEEEEEiE6invokeERNS1_15function_bufferE+00000039
[ 25] 0x00007f636990194c /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00878924
[ 26] 0x00007f63699026d7 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwmcr.so+00882391 _ZN7mwboost6detail11thread_dataINS_8functionIFvvEEEE3runEv+00000039
[ 27] 0x00007f637814b482 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwboost_thread.so.1.70.0+00062594
[ 28] 0x00007f6378f46fa3              /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0+00032675
[ 29] 0x00007f63788da4cf                    /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6+01021135 clone+00000063

** This crash report has been saved to disk as /projectstmp/matlab_crash_dump.7913-1 **



MATLAB is exiting because of fatal error

I would seem, that the stack trace

[  2] 0x00007f63787d4de8 /usr/pack/matlab-r2020b-cgh/x86_64/bin/glnxa64/libmwfoundation_filesystem.so+00114152 _ZN2fl10filesystem15pathname_traitsIDsE27replace_tilde_with_home_dirERKNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIDsSt11char_traitsIDsESaIDsEEE+00000056

is at fault, as it tries to do something with HOME, but my question is what is the use for this replacing tilde, as this error does not occur on 2016a?

If the use for this is related to a configured path. e.g. a caching or log directory placement that defaults to HOME, how can this be changed.

Answer 1

[David Robinson]

MATLAB on Linux requires that it is run in a standard Linux environment. Linux follows the POSIX specification and requires that HOME is set for processes. MATLAB is not guaranteed to run in the expected way if the environment is modified in such a way that the system is no longer POSIX compliant.

It should be possible to set the HOME in the line running the MATLAB Command using:

env HOME=/path/to/folder matlab ....

or else modify the environment such that HOME is defined and points to an existing folder.

If the above workarounds do not work for you, please open a technical support request and we can see if we can find a solution better tailored to your use case (see https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_env/contact-technical-support.html).