I already have MinGW on my computer. How do I configure it to work with MATLAB?

MATLABSolutions. Oct 11 2025 · 7 min read

If you already have MinGW installed, configuring it to work with MATLAB for compiling MEX files, C/C++ code, or Simulink models is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

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1. Verify MATLAB Support for MinGW

• MATLAB officially supports MinGW-w64 (for 64-bit MATLAB versions).

• To check if your version is supported, run in MATLAB:

mex -setup C++ 

This will prompt MATLAB to check for installed compilers.

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2. Add MinGW to System PATH

MATLAB needs to know where your MinGW compiler is located.

1. Find the MinGW bin directory (e.g., C:\\MinGW\\bin or C:\\Program Files\\mingw-w64\\...).

2. Add it to the Windows PATH environment variable:

• Windows 10/11:

  • Search for “Environment Variables” → Edit system environment variables → Environment Variables → System Variables → Path → Edit → Add your MinGW bin path.

1. Restart MATLAB to make sure it detects the updated PATH.

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3. Configure MATLAB to Use MinGW

For MEX files (C/C++):

mex -setup mex -setup C++ 

• MATLAB will search for installed compilers and detect MinGW.

• You may see options like:

Detected installed C++ compiler: \"MinGW64 Compiler (C++)\" Would you like to set it as default? 1: Yes 2: No 

• Choose Yes (1) to set MinGW as default.

For Simulink Code Generation (Optional)

If you want to generate C/C++ code from Simulink:

1. Go to Simulation → Model Configuration Parameters → Code Generation → Toolchain.

2. Select MinGW64 Compiler as your system target compiler.

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4. Test the Configuration

Create a simple MEX file to test:

% Create test.c fileID = fopen(\\\'test.c\\\',\\\'w\\\'); fprintf(fileID,\\\'#include \"mex.h\" void mexFunction(int nlhs, mxArray *plhs[], int nrhs, const mxArray *prhs[]){mexPrintf(\"Hello from MinGW! \");} \\\'); fclose(fileID); % Compile in MATLAB mex test.c % Run test 

You should see:

Hello from MinGW! 

This confirms MATLAB is successfully using MinGW.

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5. Troubleshooting Tips

• Ensure you installed 64-bit MinGW for 64-bit MATLAB.

• If MATLAB does not detect MinGW, check that the bin directory is in PATH and restart MATLAB.

• Update MATLAB to the latest version to avoid compatibility issues.

• If multiple MinGW versions are installed, explicitly specify the path when configuring MEX:

mex -setup C++ \\\'C:\\Path\\to\\your\\mingw64\\bin\\g++.exe\\\' 

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