/ros_workspace

Primary LanguagePython

ROS 2 Development with Pixi

A modern ROS 2 workspace showcasing pixi-build-ros - the simplest way to build and manage ROS packages.

🚀 Quick Demo

# Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/ruben-arts/ros_workspace.git
# Install and build everything
pixi install
# Start turtle simulator (terminal 1)
pixi run sim
# Start navigation controller (terminal 2)
pixi run navigator
# Send movement command (terminal 3) 
pixi run talker 5.5 8.0

Watch the turtle smoothly navigate to your coordinates using a PID controller!

✨ Why pixi-build-ros?

  • Zero configuration: No complex extra's needed, just a small pixi toml and the rest is automated.
  • Isolated builds: Each package builds in its own clean environment
  • Cross-platform: Same commands work on Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Dependency magic: Automatically handles ROS dependencies
  • Fast iteration: Incremental builds and smart caching

📋 Prerequisites

  • Pixi installed
  • No ROS installation needed - pixi handles everything!

🎮 This Workspace Demo

What's Included

This repository contains a complete working example with:

  • Turtle Simulator: Visual robot simulation environment
  • Python Talker: Publishes target coordinates via command line
  • C++ Navigator: PID controller that moves turtle to target
  • Python Navigator: Alternative Python implementation

Available Commands

# Turtle simulator GUI
pixi run sim

# C++ navigation with PID control
pixi run navigator

# Python navigation (alternative)  
pixi run navigator-py

# Send coordinates: pixi run talker <x> <y>
pixi run talker 2.5 7.0

How It Works

  1. Talker publishes target coordinates on the /coordinates topic
  2. Navigator subscribes to coordinates and turtle pose
  3. PID Controller calculates smooth movement commands
  4. Turtle moves smoothly to the target position

Try different coordinates and watch the intelligent navigation!

🏗️ Creating a New Workspace

Step 1: Initialize

mkdir my_ros_workspace && cd my_ros_workspace
pixi init --channel https://prefix.dev/pixi-build-backends --channel https://prefix.dev/conda-forge --channel https://prefix.dev/robostack-staging

Step 2: Add ROS Dependencies

pixi add ros-humble-desktop

Step 3: Verify Setup

pixi run ros2 run turtlesim turtlesim_node

You should see a turtle appear in a graphical window!

📦 Adding ROS Packages

Python Package

Create the ROS package:

pixi run ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_python --destination-directory src --node-name my_node my_python_pkg

Add pixi-build-ros configuration:

cd src/my_python_pkg
cat > pixi.toml << 'EOF'
[package]
name = "undefined" # Change this to your package name or keep undefined to fetch it from the package.xml
version = "0.0.0" # Change this to your package version or keep 0.0.0 to fetch it from the package.xml

[package.build.backend]
name = "pixi-build-ros"
version = ">=0.1.1"

[package.build.config]
distro = "humble"
EOF

Register with workspace (root pixi.toml):

[dependencies]
ros-humble-desktop = ">=0.10.0,<0.11"
ros-humble-my-python-pkg = { path = "src/my_python_pkg" }

C++ Package

Create the ROS package:

pixi run ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_cmake --destination-directory src --node-name my_node my_cpp_pkg --dependencies rclcpp std_msgs

Add pixi-build-ros configuration:

cd src/my_cpp_pkg
cat > pixi.toml << 'EOF'
[package]
name = "undefined" # Change this to your package name or keep undefined to fetch it from the package.xml
version = "0.0.0" # Change this to your package version or keep 0.0.0 to fetch it from the package.xml

[package.build.backend]
name = "pixi-build-ros"
version = ">=0.1.1"

[package.build.config]
distro = "humble"
EOF

Register with workspace:

[dependencies]
ros-humble-desktop = ">=0.10.0,<0.11"
ros-humble-my-python-pkg = { path = "src/my_python_pkg" }
ros-humble-my-cpp-pkg = { path = "src/my_cpp_pkg" }

Add Convenience Tasks

pixi task add my-python "ros2 run my_python_pkg my_node"
pixi task add my-cpp "ros2 run my_cpp_pkg my_node"

📦 Creating Distribution Packages

Build conda packages for deployment:

# Creates .conda files for distribution
pixi build

Share your packages:

  • Upload to prefix.dev
  • Distribute to your team
  • Deploy to production environments

🐛 Troubleshooting

Build Issues

Missing dependencies:

pixi info  # Check configured channels
pixi list --explicit # List all explicitly installed packages
pixi list # List all installed packages
pixi tree -i package-name # Check dependency tree of a package

Cache problems:

pixi clean # Full clean of the current .pixi folder in the workspace
pixi clean --build # Only clear build artifacts in the workspace
pixi clean cache --build # Clear build backend cache
pixi clean cache # Only clear cache, might be deleting more then you want, so watch out!

Runtime Issues

ROS commands not found:

pixi shell  # Enter pixi environment
ros2 --help  # Test ROS installation

Getting Help

Happy Robot Building! 🤖✨