Template for running ROS Noetic projects in docker container

Using this for the first time:

1. Make a repository based on this template.
2. Add the submodules to packages folder (and remove placeholder)
3. Update the overlay and dev dependencied (apt and pip) to suit your project.
4. Update the .env file.
5. Make sure the entrypoint permissions are set: chmod +x docker/entrypoint.sh
6. Build the image (from this repositorys' root folder)
7. Start the container.

NB:

• In the overlay image the submodules (in packages folder) are copied over (from the Dockerfile)
• In the dev image the submodules (in packages folder) are a shared volume (from the docker-compose file)

Files

• .devcontainer: vscode setup in container
• Docker: Dockerfile and entrypoint
• .env: Environment variables to be changed. Particularly important for ROS1 (ros master, nodes IP etc.)
• dependencies.repos: Repositories that are used, but not to be modified (e.g. drivers, tools etc)
• docker-compose: Compose file

Docker (How to run docker environment)

Install docker and docker compose

Docker: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/

Docker compose: https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/

Build the image:

docker compose build dev

Run the container:

docker compose up dev

Connect to the container:

docker exec -it $NAME bash

Remove everything, including stopped containers and all unused images (not just dangling ones):

docker system prune -a

Submodules

Clone the repo with submodules:

git clone --recursive git@github.com:Lucasmogsan/ros1_template.git

Alternatively clone the repo and then get the submodules afterwards:

git clone git@github.com:Lucasmogsan/ros1_template.git

git submodule update --init --recursive

The main repo has references to the submodules. If these submodules are modified, then the main repo may need to update these references in order to pull the latest data.

git submodule update --remote

This modifies the references in the main repo, and these changes needs to be comitted and pushed.

Allow for visuals (rviz)

Allow user to access the X server inside the docker (see visuals such as rviz inside from the container). On your host PC run the following:

xhost +local:root