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ROS 2 Installation and Setup

This section provides comprehensive instructions for installing and setting up ROS 2 (Humble Hawksbill) for use with humanoid robotics applications. Following these steps will prepare your development environment for the exercises in this book.

System Requirements​

Before installing ROS 2, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

  • Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) - Recommended for this book
  • Processor: Multi-core processor (Intel i7 or equivalent recommended)
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended
  • Storage: 20 GB free disk space
  • Internet: Required for package installation

Note: While ROS 2 can run on other platforms (Windows with WSL2, macOS), this book focuses on Ubuntu 22.04 for consistency and optimal performance.

Installation Steps​

1. Set Locale​

Ensure your locale is set to UTF-8:

locale  # Check current locale
sudo locale-gen en_US en_US.UTF-8
sudo update-locale LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

2. Add ROS 2 Repository​

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y locales
sudo locale-gen en_US.UTF-8
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl -y
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ros/rosdistro/master/ros.key -o /usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg] http://packages.ros.org/ros2/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo $UBUNTU_CODENAME) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros2.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update

3. Install ROS 2 Humble​

Install the desktop version which includes Gazebo and other simulation tools:

sudo apt install ros-humble-desktop

4. Install Additional Dependencies​

sudo apt install python3-rosdep python3-rosinstall python3-rosinstall-generator python3-wstool build-essential

5. Initialize rosdep​

sudo rosdep init
rosdep update

6. Environment Setup​

Add ROS 2 environment setup to your bashrc:

echo "source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verification​

Test that ROS 2 is installed correctly:

# Check ROS 2 version
ros2 --version

# Test basic functionality
ros2 topic list

# Run a simple demo
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

In another terminal:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 run demo_nodes_py listener

Python Package Dependencies​

Install additional Python packages commonly used in robotics:

pip3 install numpy matplotlib transforms3d pyquaternion

Workspace Setup​

Create a workspace for your humanoid robotics projects:

# Create workspace directory
mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ~/ros2_ws

# Source ROS 2 environment
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash

# Build the workspace (initially empty)
colcon build

Add workspace to your bashrc:

echo "source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Common Issues and Solutions​

Issue: Permission Denied Error​

If you encounter permission errors, ensure you're sourcing the correct setup file:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash

Issue: Python Import Errors​

If Python packages cannot be imported, ensure your environment is properly set:

# Check if ROS 2 packages are found
python3 -c "import rclpy; print('rclpy imported successfully')"

Issue: Gazebo Not Found​

If Gazebo is not available after installation:

sudo apt install ros-humble-gazebo-*

Docker Alternative (Optional)​

For a containerized development environment, you can use the official ROS 2 Docker image:

# Pull the ROS 2 Humble image
docker pull osrf/ros:humble-desktop

# Run with GUI support (for visualization tools)
docker run -it \
  --env="DISPLAY" \
  --env="QT_X11_NO_MITSHM=1" \
  --volume="/tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix:rw" \
  --network=host \
  osrf/ros:humble-desktop

Next Steps​

After completing the installation:

  1. Verify your installation by running the talker/listener demo
  2. Create your first ROS 2 package following the next section
  3. Set up your development environment with your preferred IDE
  4. Proceed to the next chapter to learn about ROS 2 concepts

Troubleshooting​

If ROS 2 Commands Are Not Found​

Ensure your environment is properly sourced:

# Check if environment variables are set
echo $ROS_DISTRO
echo $ROS_VERSION

# If not set, source the setup file manually
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash

Network Configuration​

For multi-machine ROS 2 communication, you may need to configure RMW (ROS Middleware):

# Check current RMW implementation
printenv | grep RMW

# Set to Fast DDS (default)
export RMW_IMPLEMENTATION=rmw_fastrtps_cpp

Resources​

Your ROS 2 environment is now ready for developing humanoid robotics applications. In the next sections, we'll explore ROS 2 concepts and create your first robotic nodes.