Solution for HPC with Matlab and Linux

Question

I have the following problem.

I want to install Matlab as root on a remote computer with graphical user interface installed. I've a campus license that can be installed on 4 different computers (or users). The remote computer has 4 different users:

|__> user1
|__> user2
|__> user3

Every user can connect through ssh shell and through VNC too, so every user can have its own desktop.

Is is possible to configure matlab as root, so that every user is administrator and every user can run his session and let computation run in background, and after they finished, connect back again to see results?

Answer 1

It is, but it is not a great idea, because this way each user will be root all of the time, with the dangers that follow. Instead of doing this, why do you not define a new user with normal privileges, and set it up so that anyone can connect to this new account (for instance, by sharing cryptographic keys) from which you run Matlab?

There is no obvious requirement to run Matlab as sudo, so this simple solution ought to please all of you, and enforce a tighter security.