Matlab ignores the initial working folder setting

USERPATH User environment path. USERPATH returns a user-specific folder that MATLAB adds to the search path at startup, specified as a character vector. The default userpath is platform-specific: Windows: user's "Documents" folder appended with "MATLAB" Mac: user's "Documents" folder ($home/Documents) appended with "MATLAB" Linux: user's $home folder appended by "Documents" and "MATLAB" (if there is no $home/Documents directory, userpath will not be set) USERPATH(path) set the current value of userpath to the folder passed in. It updates the current MATLAB path, and this new userpath will persist across MATLAB sessions. USERPATH('reset') resets the userpath to the default. It updates the current MATLAB path, and this new userpath will persist across MATLAB sessions. USERPATH('clear') removes the userpath. It updates the current MATLAB path, and this new userpath will persist across MATLAB sessions. Note that additional folders can be added to the top of the search path upon startup by specifying the path for the folders via the MATLABPATH environment variable. On Mac and Linux, if the directory $home/matlab exists, it will also be added to the search path after any folders specified via the MATLABPATH environment variable regardless of whether the MATLABPATH environment variable is set. (This is done for compatibility with earlier releases.) See also PATHDEF. Documentation for userpath doc userpath