part 1: setting up docker

  • get ROS docker image (melodic is the newer) 
    docker pull ros:melodic
  • create network 
    docker network create ros
docker network ls
  • run master node 
    master:
docker run --rm -it --name roscore --net ros ros:melodic roscore

#1 - TERMINAL / TEXT-ONLY

  • run nodes

node1:

docker run --rm -it --net ros -e ROS_MASTER_URI=http://roscore:11311 ros:melodic rostopic echo /chatter

node2:

docker run --rm -it --net ros -e ROS_MASTER_URI=http://roscore:11311 ros:melodic rostopic pub -1 /chatter std_msgs/String 'Hello From Docker'

#2- GRAPHICS / X11

  • install xquartz

XQuartz

The XQuartz project is an open-source effort to develop a version of the X.Org X Window System that runs on OS X. To install it, you have two options: you can get the dmg (here)[https://www.xquartz.org] or just brew cask install XQuartz if you are a cool kid and use brew.

now, run xquartz(close the terminal window if it opens by itself), configure docker and xquartz integration then, finally, run container:

$ ip=$(ifconfig|grep 'inet '|grep -v '127.0.0.1'| tail -1|awk '{print $2}')
$ socat TCP-LISTEN:6001,reuseaddr,fork UNIX-CLIENT:\"$DISPLAY\" &
$ docker run -it --name turtlesim --net ros -e ROS_MASTER_URI=http://roscore:11311 -e XAUTHORITY=/tmp/xauth -e DISPLAY=$ip:1 ros:melodic bash

# root@e3bf7235a0c0:/# apt-get update
# root@e3bf7235a0c0:/# apt-get install ros-$(rosversion -d)-turtlesim -y
# root@e3bf7235a0c0:/# rosrun turtlesim turtlesim_node

to test, run another docker image to send data to turtle:

$ docker run --rm -it --name turtleteleopkey --net ros -e ROS_MASTER_URI=http://roscore:11311 ros:melodic bash
# root@e3bf7235a0c0:/# apt-get update
# root@e3bf7235a0c0:/# apt-get install ros-$(rosversion -d)-turtlesim -y
# rosrun turtlesim turtle_teleop_key

everything working like a charm!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOTE: the first time that I tried to use XQuartz, it didn’t worked as expected. To fix it I opened it with command+space and, it comes attached to a terminal, where I added xhost +, which let’s anyone attach to your X(so, be careful).

End of part 1. Next: ROS tests and CI