MATE ROV 2023-24

Table of Contents

1. Setup
   1. Linux
      1. Docker
      2. Bare Metal
   2. Windows
      1. Docker
      2. WSL
   3. macOS
      1. Docker
2. Test Environment
3. Code Building
4. Directory Structure
5. Documentation Structure

Setup

Start by opening up a terminal and navigating to where you want the code to be saved and entering the following command.

git clone --recurse-submodules [email protected]:cwruRobotics/rov-24.git

If you've never contributed to a git repository before, you might receive an error message saying you don't have access. In that case visit this tutorial to set up SSH for local GitHub access.

After cloning the code, we need to set up our IDE: VSCode. If you already have it, great. Otherwise follow this tutorial. We recommend installing the mypy, flake8 and autoDocstring VSCode extensions. Our setting for autoDocstring are set to Numpy and auto docstring on new line.

Linux

Docker

Start by installing docker engine from here.

Set your permissions based on this guide.

Restart.

Then install the Dev Containers VSCode extension.

To open the container use F1 or ctrl+shift+p to open the command bar and use Tasks: Runs Task. Then from the Task selection choose Docker Rebuild. This will build and run the docker container. Make sure to choose ROV Linux for which type to run.

For gui apps run xhost + local:docker before launching docker or add to .bashrc.

To reopen after a build Go to File > Open Recent /stuff/rov-24 [Dev Container]

Bare Metal

To run the install script use F1 or ctrl+shift+p to open the command bar and use Tasks: Runs Task. Then from the Task selection choose Setup Surface Environment. This will install ROS and all our dependencies.

Windows

Docker

Start by installing docker from here.

Then install the Dev Containers VSCode extension.

To open the container use F1 or ctrl+shift+p to open the command bar and use Tasks: Runs Task. Then from the Task selection choose Docker Rebuild. This will build and run the docker container. Make sure to choose ROV Windows for which type to run.

To add your ssh keys into the container follow this guide.

If this doesn't work try running ssh -v [email protected]

If get_agent_identities from the prior command is empty you will likely need to download a newer version of OpenSSH from here. Download the .msi file. Once download double click to update it. You might need to do the previous step again.

To get gui support inside docker download this.

Then run XLaunch from the Windows Start Menu. Make the settings look like this:

Then open up Command Prompt and type ipconfig.

Then in the terminal of the docker container use export DISPLAY={IPV4 of WSL}:0.0 where the IPV4 is from the ipconfig command.

To reopen after a build Go to File > Open Recent /stuff/rov-24 [Dev Container]

WSL

Follow this guide to install WSL.

After WSL has been installed follow this guide to get VSCode and WSL to properly communicate and navigate to the rov-24 folder.

Then run the install script.

To run the install script use F1 or ctrl+shift+p to open the command bar and use Tasks: Runs Task. Then from the Task selection choose Setup Surface Environment. This will install ROS and all our dependencies.

macOS

Docker

Start by installing docker from here.

Then install the Dev Containers VSCode extension.

To get GUI support inside docker, first install homebrew.

Then, from a terminal, run the following:

brew install socat
brew install xquartz

Next, configure XQuartz with

open -a Xquartz

Make the settings look like this:

To open the container use F1 or ctrl+shift+p to open the command bar and use Tasks: Runs Task. Then from the Task selection choose Docker Rebuild. This will build and run the docker container. Make sure to choose ROV macOS for which type to run.

To reopen after a build Go to File > Open Recent /stuff/rov-24 [Dev Container]

Upgrading Environment

If you are upgrading to a newer ROS version make sure to remove source /opt/ros/$PREVIOUS_ROS_DISTRO/setup.bash. If you are using Docker you can simply build the new container and delete the old one.

Test environment

After running the script open a terminal and run

ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

Open a second terminal and run

ros2 run demo_nodes_py listener

Building with Colcon

Now, anytime you want to build, do the following:

In VSCode, press F1 or ctrl+shift+p and enter Tasks: Run Task in the field until you see the corresponding option appear. Click or hit enter on that option.

This whole process should become F1, Enter, Enter once you've done it once, although the magic of symlink should mean you won't need to build again for most things.

If you're working on package's setup.py or rov_msgs, you'll need to run 🏃‍♂️ ROS Quick Build or use Control + Shift + B every time you change something.

If you want to run our unit tests use this command colcon test --event-handlers=console_direct+.

In VSCode, press F1 or ctrl+shift+p and enter Tasks: Run Test Task as another method to run the above command.

It runs the tests and pipes the output to the terminal. To test pi_main make sure to type your password into the terminal after running the above command.

If you install the flake8 and mypy extension they should help enforce the linters.

Directory Structure

All packages to be installed on the surface computer live in the surface directory.

All packages to be installed on the pi compute module live in the pi directory.

All packages to be installed on the float live in the float directory.

Namespaces

All nodes running on the pi will be in the pi namespace.

All nodes running on the surface will be in the surface namespace.

Any topics or services communicating across will be renamed first into the tether namespace.

Documentation Structure

Documentation will take place at 3 levels:

• High Level - Overarching Design Document outlining our general structure and what goes where.
• Device Level - Following the markdown tempate in doc directory.
• Inline Level - Using reST / Numpy Standard. To autogenerate in VSCode we use autoDocstring extension with the setting set to Numpy and auto docstring on new line. Below is an example of an inline function docstring.

def __init__(self, srv_type: SrvType, topic: str, signal: pyqtBoundSignal,
                 timeout: float = 1.0, expected_namespace: str = '/surface/gui'):
        """
        _summary_

        Parameters
        ----------
        srv_type : SrvType
            _description_
        topic : str
            _description_
        signal : pyqtBoundSignal
            _description_
        timeout : float, optional
            _description_, by default 1.0
        expected_namespace : str, optional
            _description_, by default '/surface/gui'
        """