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Troubleshooting & FAQ

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Duncan Lilley edited this page Mar 24, 2026 · 1 revision

Troubleshooting

When encountering an issue with the extension, here are some steps to gather more information.

Gather Log Files

There are a number of log files generated by the extension and language server. To find these:

  1. Open the "Output" panel in VS Code
  2. Select "MATLAB Language Server" from the drop down
  3. Find the line starting with "matlabls: Log Directory:" at the top of the log

Navigate to the directory specified. This directory should have languageServerLog.txt and matlabLog.txt (if you have connected to MATLAB).

It is helpful to share these logs when opening an issue, as they may help to identify the root cause of the issue.

Try Another Version

An issue may be introduced by a new update to the extension, or may be specific to a MATLAB version. Knowing the version (of either the extension or MATLAB) in which an issue is present may help maintainers reproduce and resolve the issue.

To install an older version of the extension:

  1. Open the "Extensions" panel
  2. Click the gear icon next to the MATLAB extension
  3. Select "Install Specific Version..."
  4. Choose the version number from the menu

FAQ

Q: The extension repo shows a "server" change after I commit to the language server. What is this? Should I commit it?

A: The language server is included as a Git submodule in the extension. When you update the server, the submodule pointer in the extension changes. It’s good practice to commit this submodule update in the extension so consumers get the intended server version.

Q: When cloning the repository, the submodules were not initialized. How do I fix this?

A: To manually initialize the submodules, run the following Git command:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Q: How should I choose version numbers?

A: The version number is updated at the time of release - you should not update the extension version when making a contribution.

That being said, we follow Semantic Versioning, which specifies a MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH version number:

  • MAJOR for incompatible API changes
  • MINOR for new (significant) functionality which is backwards compatible
  • PATCH for backwards compatible bug fixes

Q: Can I run the extension against a specific MATLAB installation?

A: Yes! In the VS Code settings, set the extension’s MATLAB install path (search for "MATLAB.installPath") to the desired MATLAB matlabroot.

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