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Introduction to ROS 2 Development with Docker

This guide details how to containerize ROS 2 applications using Docker.

Python Frameworks

30 minutes

1

Run ROS 2

2

Set Up ROS 2 workspace

3

Turtlesim example

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Run ROS 2 in a container ​

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Table of contents

Overview ​

In this section, you will run ROS 2 in an isolated Docker container using official ROS 2 images, verify that ROS 2 is working, and install additional ROS 2 packages for development and testing.

Run ROS 2 in a container ​

The fastest way to get started with ROS 2 is to use the official Docker image. To pull an image, start a container, and open an interactive bash shell:

  1. Pull and run the official ROS 2 Docker image:
console
$ docker run -it ros:humble

This guide uses the Humble distribution. You can replace humble with another supported distribution such as rolling, jazzy, or iron.

Note

This environment is temporary and does not maintain persistence. Any files you create or packages you install will be deleted once the container is stopped or removed.

  1. Verify ROS 2 is working:
console
$ echo $ROS_DISTRO

You should see output similar to:

text
humble

Install ROS 2 packages ​

The official ROS 2 images include core packages. To install additional packages, use the apt package manager:

  1. Update the package manager:
console
$ sudo apt update
  1. Install the desired package:
console
$ sudo apt install $PACKAGE_NAME

Replace $PACKAGE_NAME with any package you want to install.

Some commonly used packages include:

  • ros-humble-turtlesim - Visualization and simulation tool
  • ros-humble-rviz2 - 3D visualization tool
  • ros-humble-rqt - Qt-based ROS graphical tools
  • ros-humble-demo-nodes-cpp - C++ demo nodes
  • ros-humble-demo-nodes-py - Python demo nodes
  • ros-humble-colcon-common-extensions - Build system extensions

Summary ​

In this section, you pulled an official ROS 2 Docker image, launched an interactive session, and extended the container's capabilities by installing additional ROS 2 packages using apt.

Next steps ​

In the next section, you will configure a persistent workspace to ensure your code and modifications are saved across sessions.

Build and develop a ROS 2 workspace »