how to run programs on Mac OS X

Karl Muller · Post by **Karl Muller** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:44 pm

Hi

I'm a new mac user, and I'm a little lost.
I've downloaded WINE and successfully used it to install a program called MATLAB R2007b 7.5 (it's a program for science/engineering stuff).

Under the Program Files in the WINE directory I've got my matlab folder, but it doesn't have a .exe file, the main program file is a .lnk. If I use WINE to run this in the terminal command space it says:
wine: Bad EXE format for C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2007b\MATLAB R2007b.lnk

There's also a .desktop file on my desktop, but that gives me the same thing:
wine: Bad EXE format for Z:\Users\ksphere\Desktop\MATLAB R2007b.desktop

How do I run my program?

Cheers,
Karl=

Charles Davis · Post by **Charles Davis** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:10 pm

On 7/4/10 7:58 AM, Karl Muller wrote:

Hi

I'm a new mac user, and I'm a little lost.

I'm an existing Mac user, and I know my way around. Welcome!

I've downloaded WINE and successfully used it to install a program called MATLAB R2007b 7.5 (it's a program for science/engineering stuff).

Why, when there's a Mac-native version? (Or, did you happen to own the
Windows version and not have a license to use the Mac version?) Just so
you know, when there's a native version of a program, most people here
will tell you to run the native version instead of running the Windows
version in Wine.

Under the Program Files in the WINE directory I've got my matlab folder, but it doesn't have a .exe file,

That's because it's a Java application. You need the JRE installed to
run this. And no, you can't use the JRE that's built in to Mac OS X. You
have to install the JRE in Wine.

the main program file is a .lnk. If I use WINE to run this in the terminal command space it says:
wine: Bad EXE format for C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2007b\MATLAB R2007b.lnk

Well, you're better off than most new users. Most of them don't even
know what Terminal is.

Anyway, you can use Wine's built-in 'start' command to open
Windows-style shortcuts. Just run:

wine start 'C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2007b\MATLAB R2007b.lnk'

from Terminal.

There's also a .desktop file on my desktop, but that gives me the same thing:
wine: Bad EXE format for Z:\Users\ksphere\Desktop\MATLAB R2007b.desktop

That file is generated by Wine for the benefit of Desktop Environments
like GNOME and KDE on systems like Linux, because they don't understand
Windows' shortcuts. Mac OS doesn't understand .desktop files, so it's
best to ignore them.

Chip

Gert van den Berg · Post by **Gert van den Berg** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:22 pm

On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 15:58, Karl Muller <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi

I'm a new mac user, and I'm a little lost.
I've downloaded WINE and successfully used it to install a program called MATLAB R2007b 7.5 (it's a program for science/engineering stuff).

The better way would be to use the Mac OS version of MATLAB.... (It
doesn't support all the toolboxes and I'm not sure if it requires
another license though...)

Under the Program Files in the WINE directory I've got my matlab folder, but it doesn't have a .exe file, the main program file is a .lnk. If I use WINE to run this in the terminal command space it says:
wine: Bad EXE format for C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2007b\MATLAB R2007b.lnk

There's also a .desktop file on my desktop, but that gives me the same thing:
wine: Bad EXE format for Z:\Users\ksphere\Desktop\MATLAB R2007b.desktop

Isn't there a bin subdirectory or something?

Gert van den Berg · Post by **Gert van den Berg** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:34 pm

On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 21:10, Charles Davis <[email protected]> wrote:

Under the Program Files in the WINE directory I've got my matlab folder, but it doesn't have a .exe file,
That's because it's a Java application. You need the JRE installed to
run this. And no, you can't use the JRE that's built in to Mac OS X. You
have to install the JRE in Wine.

MATLAB is supposed to br usable without Java...There is a parameter
(-nojvm) to get rid of the Java requirement (needed to run the PowerPC
version on Intel OS X, since Rosetta didn't support Java...)

James McKenzie · Post by **James McKenzie** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:37 pm

Charles Davis wrote:

On 7/4/10 7:58 AM, Karl Muller wrote:

Hi

I'm a new mac user, and I'm a little lost.

I'm an existing Mac user, and I know my way around. Welcome!

I've downloaded WINE and successfully used it to install a program called MATLAB R2007b 7.5 (it's a program for science/engineering stuff).

Why, when there's a Mac-native version? (Or, did you happen to own the
Windows version and not have a license to use the Mac version?) Just so
you know, when there's a native version of a program, most people here
will tell you to run the native version instead of running the Windows
version in Wine.

+1 for running the native version. MatLab does not and will not support
Wine. Thus, if it breaks, you get to keep the pieces and you have no
support from them.

That file is generated by Wine for the benefit of Desktop Environments
like GNOME and KDE on systems like Linux, because they don't understand
Windows' shortcuts. Mac OS doesn't understand .desktop files, so it's
best to ignore them.

I delete them. They clutter up my desktop.

James McKenzie