MATLAB: Is it possible to share the same Matlab license between a host and virtual machine on a single computer

matlab license

I am running Matlab on a MacOS. On my Mac, I am also running a virtual Linux machine. I want to share the same Matlab license between these two operating systems. In other words, I want to be able to run Matlab on the MacOS, or the Linux OS, but not on both operating systems simultaneously for this single computer. Is this possible or is there a way to make this possible?
Thanks,
Dan

Best Answer

For Named User or Designated Computer licenses then VM are not counted as separate machines . For those licenses , using a VM has the same status as starting up another copy of matlab on the same machine .
That said , to run a VM you need a MAC address associated with its virtual internet interface . Matlab is going to compare that mac address to the license file and reject if there is no match. Typically you need to use a different mac address than the host is using so that the vm can distinguish whether the packets are for the host or the VM . I know that Parallels has an option to share mac address but I seem to recall that it works by using a different mac internally and translating in the virtual interface for packets going off host. I have not experimented to see how it interacts with matlab licenses .
What I do for simplicity is assign the same mac address to all my Windows vm and a different mac for my linux vm both different than my host mac. The license I am using permits up to 4 activations so that permits me to use osx plus Windows vm plus linux vm simultaneously .
If you were dual booting then that would not be a license problem as you do not license per os, only per activated machine no matter which os.
If you have a Student license or Home license then you are restricted to one activation and at that point the Mac address used inside the vm becomes the challenge .
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