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Robot Operating System (ROS) and Docker

Dockerfiles

Images

# ROS 1
docker pull osrf/ros:noetic-desktop

# ROS 2
docker pull osrf/ros:foxy-desktop
docker pull osrf/ros:humble-desktop
docker pull osrf/ros:jazzy-desktop
docker pull osrf/ros:rolling-desktop

# List local Docker images
docker images

Dockerfile

Example

FROM osrf/ros:humble-desktop

# Set environment variables
ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
ENV ROS_DISTRO=humble
ENV USER=user
ENV HOME=/home/$USER

# Install additional packages
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
  sudo \
  curl \
  wget \
  git \
  nano \
  neovim \
  python3-pip \
  python3-colcon-common-extensions \
  python3-rosdep \
  python3-vcstool \
  bash-completion \
  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Create user and home directory
RUN useradd -m -d $HOME -s /bin/bash $USER && \
  echo "$USER:$USER" | chpasswd && \
  usermod -aG sudo $USER && \
  echo "$USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" >> /etc/sudoers

# ROS 2
USER $USER
WORKDIR $HOME

RUN mkdir -p $HOME/ros_ws/src

RUN echo "source /opt/ros/$ROS_DISTRO/setup.bash" >> $HOME/.bashrc && \
  echo "source $HOME/ros_ws/install/setup.bash" >> $HOME/.bashrc

# Initialize rosdep
USER root
RUN rosdep init || true
USER $USER
RUN rosdep update

# Set working directory to home and default command
WORKDIR $HOME
CMD ["/bin/bash"]

Build

docker build -t <name:tag> -f <filename>.Dockerfile .

Run

# Automatically remove the container and its anonymous volumes when it exits
docker run --rm -it <name:tag> bash

Dev Containers

Quick Guide

  1. Configure the Visual Studio Code based on requirements for Docker development (see Visual Studio Code Requirements for further information)
  2. Clone the repository and open the example for container-based ROS development with Visual Studio Code 
    git clone git@github.com:sousarbarb/sousarbarb.github.io.git

cd sousarbarb.github.io.git/src/docker/ros/
code .
  3. Use the command (Ctrl+Shift+P >dev containers reopen) Dev Containers: Reopen in Container and select the desired devcontainer.json file

Explanation

.devcontainer/

  • Define multiple devcontainer.json files for different containers
  • Separation on folders by the containers / services names is just for organization purposes

devcontainer.json files

  • Link to the docker-compose.yml file in the root of the project
  • Selects the service (in our case, directly the container) to execute the Dev Container
  • "postCreateCommand": "echo 'source /opt/ros/<ROS DISTRO>/setup.bash' >> ~/.bashrc && echo 'source /home/ros_ws/<devel|install>/setup.bash' >> ~/.bashrc"
    • upon the creation of the container, add the source of the ROS environment variables to the ~/.bashrc
  • "postStartCommand": "bash .devcontainer/ros1noetic/setup.sh"
    • facilitates the build and setup of the project inside the container before interacting with it
  • See https://containers.dev/implementors/json_reference/ for further information on the Dev Container metadata reference