ROS2 Development Setup

New to ROS2? Start by connecting directly to the robot via SSH — no installation needed.
Want simulations or advanced tools? Jump to setting up a Docker dev environment.

Choose Your Approach

Option 1: Connect to the Real Robot via SSH

The fastest way to start. No installation needed — just SSH in and run ROS2 commands directly on the robot.

Connect

ssh username@ROBOT_IP

Replace ROBOT_IP with your robot’s actual IP address:

# Example
ssh username@192.168.1.50

Enter the robot’s password when prompted. You’re now in the robot’s terminal.

Try These ROS2 Commands

# See all active topics
ros2 topic list
 
# Stream live laser scan data
ros2 topic echo /scan
 
# List all running nodes
ros2 node list
 
# Send a velocity command to move the robot
ros2 topic pub /cmd_vel geometry_msgs/msg/Twist

Option 2: Development Environment (Docker Setup)

Use this approach when you need:

• RViz — 3D visualization
• Gazebo — robot simulation
• Navigation2 — autonomous navigation
• SLAM — mapping and localization

Docker gives you a ready-to-use ROS2 environment without manually managing dependencies. Your workspace is stored in a Docker-managed volume (bonicbot-data) that persists across container recreations — no data loss if you accidentally recreate the container.

Step 1 — Install Docker

Pick your operating system:

Step 2 — Pull the BonicBot Docker Image

docker pull autobonicsofficial/bonicbot:latest

Step 3 — Create the Development Container

⚠️ Run this only once. After creation, use docker start to reopen the container (see below).
The bonicbot-data volume is created automatically by Docker if it doesn’t exist — no setup needed.

docker run -it \
  --name bonicbot-dev \
  --network host \
  -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
  -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
  -v ~/bonicbot-data:/root \
  autobonicsofficial/bonicbot:latest

xhost +local:docker

docker run -it \
  --name bonicbot-dev \
  --network host \
  -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
  -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
  -v ~/bonicbot-data:/root \
  autobonicsofficial/bonicbot:latest

docker run -it \
  --name bonicbot-dev \
  -v ~/bonicbot-data:/root \
  autobonicsofficial/bonicbot-a2:latest

Managing Your Container

💡 Windows users: Run all Docker commands inside the Ubuntu WSL2 terminal — not PowerShell or CMD.

Essential Docker Commands

Starting a Session

Every time you want to work, open a terminal (WSL Ubuntu on Windows) and run:

# 1. Start the container
docker start bonicbot-dev
 
# 2. Verify it's running
docker ps

You should see bonicbot-dev listed with status Up.

⚠️ If you don’t see it in docker ps, run docker ps -a — if it shows as Exited, just run docker start bonicbot-dev again.

When Things Go Wrong — Restart

If a ROS2 node crashes, a simulation freezes, or you want a clean slate without rebuilding anything:

docker restart bonicbot-dev

This stops all processes running inside the container and brings it back up in seconds. Your workspace files are untouched.

Working Inside the Container — Recommended: Antigravity + Docker Extension

Opening shell sessions with docker exec -it bonicbot-dev bash works, but becomes awkward when you need multiple terminals, want to browse files, or edit code. The Antigravity Docker extension gives you all of that in one window.

Step 1 — Install the Extension

In Antigravity, install:

• Containers — ms-azuretools.vscode-containers

Windows users: Also make sure the WSL extension is installed so Antigravity integrates with your Ubuntu environment.

Step 2 — Attach to the Running Container

1. Make sure your container is running (docker start bonicbot-dev)
2. In Antigravity, open the Docker panel from the left sidebar
3. Under Containers, right-click bonicbot-dev → Attach to Container

A new Antigravity window opens — you’re now inside the container.

Step 3 — Use It Like a Normal Dev Environment

From inside the attached window you can:

• Open terminals: Ctrl+` or Terminal → New Terminal — open as many as you need, all inside the container
• Browse files: Use the Explorer panel to navigate your workspace directories
• Edit files: Open, edit, and save files directly — no need to copy anything in or out
• Split terminals: Run a ROS2 node in one terminal, ros2 topic echo in another, Gazebo in a third — all managed in one window

This is the recommended way to work when you have multiple ROS2 processes running simultaneously.

What You Can Do Inside the Container

Once inside, your full development environment is ready:

• 🤖 Run Gazebo simulations
• 🗺️ Build maps with SLAM
• 🧭 Test Navigation2 workflows
• 📊 Visualize with RViz
• 🔧 Write and test ROS2 packages — connect to the real robot or run in simulation

Troubleshooting

xhost +local:docker

echo $DISPLAY

wsl --update

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

docker start bonicbot-dev
docker exec -it bonicbot-dev bash

Next Steps

Ready to go deeper? Follow the complete hands-on guide: