ROS INSTALLATION FOR THE NON-INITIATES
For a windows enthusiast, installing ROS is nothing short of a trauma. Install Ubuntu -- Update Ubuntu -- Install ROS -- Configure ROS, all of which over a bad connection can take more than 6-8 hours and getting acquainted with Ubuntu, bash and the ROS commands steepens the learning curve and thus the installation process.
I have been working with a virtual OS (vmdk) on Virtual Box 4.1, though this download is a 3 GB file, however once downloaded it comes pre-installed with ROS electric and Player/Stage on a Ubuntu 10.04 OS. Online installation and configuration is no more an issue.
Download and extract the vmdk file.
OS details
OS : Ubuntu 10.04.4
login : electric
password : electric
ROS installation details
version : 1.6.9, electric emys
ROS_PACKAGE_PATH is set to ~/ros_packages
Player/Stage installation details
Player version : 3.0.2
Stage version : 3.2.2
The installation files can be found at ~/player-3.0.2 and ~/Stage-3.2.2-Source
ETCETERA
- After a full ROS installation, some basic packages have been downloaded and installed, can be found at ~/ros_packages
- The installation of ROS and Player/Stage does not conflict. However while using Stage in ROS, it is advisable to use stageros than stage.
- C++ code to run Player/Stage can be found at ~/player-3.0.2/examples/libplayerc++
- world and cfg files for basic simulations in Stage can be found at ~/Stage-3.2.2-Source/worlds
- gazebo is known to have issues when used on a virtual OS
- vmdk has been tried and tested in Virtual Box 4.1 on Ubuntu 12.04 host. Prospective users are welcome to try it out in VMWare
- Make sure to enable 3D acceleration in the Virtual OS
- Any issues - please email me at arkapravobhaumik at gmail dot com
3 comments:
If you are offering this to the community, wouldn't it be better to support development efforts by installing the latest version of ROS and Ubuntu? Not keeping up to date seems to hinder the community's progress.
Hi waffleguy4,thank you for your message. A vmdk fuerte installation in Ubuntu 12.04 is on the way. I was not very sure of employing unity on a virtual system and Lucid (10.04) is always the stamp of confidence. Ideally, it would be best to develop an iso than a vmdk - I am trying for that.
waffleguy4,
Just because someone makes something available to the community doesn't make them responsible for the community's progress.
If I made a version of Ubuntu that runs on Arduino available to everyone, you're saying I must now make all new versions also run on Arduino? If the community was so concerned about progress, they'd do it themselves.
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