Using OpenCV with Matlab: mex does not find header files

Question

I am trying to connect Matlab and OpenCV following this tutorial: http://xanthippi.ceid.upatras.gr/people/evangelidis/matlab_opencv/

Since I work on a Linux system I can't follow the instructions for the mexopts.bat file since the Linux equivalent (mexopts.sh) seems to be rather different and i find none of the options mentioned in the tutorial in the mexopts.sh file. So I try to set the options in Matlab.

I downloaded the most recent OpenCV Version (2.4.8) and compiled it according to the instructions on their site (http://docs.opencv.org/2.4/doc/tutorials/introduction/linux_install/linux_install.html without the make install).

The structure of the OpenCV directory seems to be a problem, since there are multiple include directories and I was unsure which to specify.

[edit]: there was a lot of pointless code here which has all been made superfluous as @Peter made me aware that I simply misunderstood how make/make install worked.

Answer 1

"Without the make install" is the problem. The include files and built libraries are scattered all over the source tree, as determined by the build system. make install collects all the headers that are appropriate for use by users of the library and puts them in one directory for including. It does the same with the libraries themselves. make install may also "strip" the libraries, which drastically reduces the size and improves the load time.

If you don't want the installation in a system directory, you can set the install path to be somewhere in your home directory.