PX4 Setup on Docker

Building Docker Container

Pull the Docker Image

Image Used: osrf/ros:noetic-desktop-full

docker pull osrf/ros:noetic-desktop-full

Dockerfile for Building Docker Image

Make your Workspace Directory and paste the Following in the DockerFile

# Use the base image for ROS Noetic Desktop
FROM osrf/ros:noetic-desktop-full

# Set build arguments
ARG USER=ariitk
ARG DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

RUN groupadd -r ${USER} && useradd -r -g ${USER} ${USER} && \
    mkdir -p /home/${USER} && \
    chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER} && \
    echo ${USER}' ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL' >> /etc/sudoers && \
    chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers

# Set the working directory
WORKDIR /home/${USER}

# Update package lists and install required ROS packages and tools
RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y \
    ros-noetic-moveit \
    ros-noetic-ros-controllers \
    ros-noetic-gazebo-ros-control \
    ros-noetic-rosserial \
    ros-noetic-rosserial-arduino \
    ros-noetic-roboticsgroup-upatras-gazebo-plugins \
    ros-noetic-actionlib-tools \
    ros-noetic-rqt \
    ros-noetic-rqt-common-plugins \
    ros-noetic-rqt-robot-plugins \
    terminator \
    python \
    python3 \
    python3-pip \
    python3-rosdep \
    python3-rosinstall \
    python3-rosinstall-generator \
    python3-wstool \
    python3-catkin-tools \
    build-essential \
    libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-base \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-good \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly \
    libprotobuf-dev \
    libprotoc-dev \
    protobuf-compiler \
    libeigen3-dev \
    libxml2-utils \
    python3-rospkg \
    python3-jinja2 \
    ros-noetic-mavros \
    ros-noetic-mavros-extras \
    ros-noetic-mavlink \
    nano \
    git \
    vim && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
# Install Gazebo & Meshlab
RUN curl -sSL http://get.gazebosim.org | sh && \
    apt-get install -y gazebo11 \
    meshlab
# PX4 Install Script
RUN wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot/refs/heads/main/Tools/setup/ubuntu.sh && \
    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot/refs/heads/main/Tools/setup/requirements.txt && \
    chmod +x ubuntu.sh && \
    ./ubuntu.sh && \
    rm ubuntu.sh && \
    rm requirements.txt
# Install MAVROS
RUN apt-get install -y ros-noetic-mavros \
    ros-noetic-mavros-extras && \
    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mavlink/mavros/master/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh && \
    chmod +x install_geographiclib_datasets.sh && \
    ./install_geographiclib_datasets.sh && \
    rm install_geographiclib_datasets.sh

# Install Python packages
RUN apt-get install -y --reinstall libssl-dev && \
    rm -rf /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/OpenSSL /usr/lib/python3/pyOpenSSL-19.0.0.egg-info && \
    pip install --upgrade pymavlink MAVProxy && \
    pip3 install kconfiglib pyserial future && \
    pip3 install --user empy && \
    pip3 install --user toml && \
    pip3 install --user numpy && \
    pip3 install --user pandas && \
    pip3 install --user jinja2 && \
    pip3 install --user jsonschema && \
    pip3 install --user pyyaml pyros-genmsg packaging

# Edit .bashrc
RUN echo '#! /bin/bash' >> /home/${USER}/.bashrc && \
    echo 'source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash' >> /home/${USER}/.bashrc && \
    echo 'source /usr/share/gazebo/setup.sh' >> /home/${USER}/.bashrc && \
    echo 'export PATH=/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH' >> /home/${USER}/.bashrc && \
    echo 'export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gazebo-11/plugins:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH ' && \
    echo 'export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/opt/ros/noetic/lib:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH'

# Switch to the specified user
USER ${USER}

Build Docker Image

Docker Image name: ariitk

docker build -t ariitk .

Make a Shared Directory between Host & Docker Container

Shared Directory Path: ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container

mkdir -p ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container

Note: You can use any of your directory for this

Running the Docker Container

Container Name: ariitk

sudo docker run -d -it --rm -v ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container:/home/Shared-Volume/ -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix --net host --env="$(env | grep DISPLAY)" --name ariitk ariitk

Provide Permission to DISPLAY for Docker

xhost +local:docker

If you've problem in running the GUI Applications in the Container try the following methods:

  • Make sure that output of env | grep DISPLAY should contain 1 line and should look like this: DISPLAY=:1. If not then, manually feed the DISPLAY value in the run command. For example sudo docker run -d -it --rm -v ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container:/home/Shared-Volume/ -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix --net host --env="DISPLAY=:1" --name ariitk <image_name/image_id>

  • If error = libGL error: MESA-LOADER: failed to retrieve device information. Add this parameter this in docker run : -e LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 and install the required libraries.

Note: We've provided --rm argument, so do all the work in the shared directory. Because all the data outside shared directory would be deleted as soon as the container is stopped. And in order to save any changes in the docker container, use docker commit to create a new version for the changes

Attach to Docker Container

Shell used: bash

docker exec -it ariitk /bin/bash

Initial Setup Inside the Container

  • Install Python Dependencies

pip3 install future kconfiglib 
pip3 install --user jsonschema

  • PX4-AutoPilot Setup

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot --recursive
cd ~/PX4-Autopilot/
make px4_sitl_default gazebo_iris

  • Install MAVROS

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws/src/
cd ~/catkin_ws/
catkin init 
wstool init src 
rosinstall_generator --rosdistro ${ROS_DISTRO} mavlink | tee /tmp/mavros.rosinstall 
rosinstall_generator --upstream mavros | tee -a /tmp/mavros.rosinstall 
wstool merge -t src /tmp/mavros.rosinstall 
wstool update -t src -j4 
rosdep update 
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -y 
sudo ./src/mavros/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh 
catkin build

  • The .bashrc should look like this

source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash
source /usr/share/gazebo/setup.sh
export PATH=/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH
source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash
source ~/PX4-Autopilot/Tools/simulation/gazebo-classic/setup_gazebo.bash ~/PX4-Autopilot ~/PX4-Autopilot/build/px4_sitl_default >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
export ROS_PACKAGE_PATH=$ROS_PACKAGE_PATH:~/PX4-Autopilot
export ROS_PACKAGE_PATH=$ROS_PACKAGE_PATH:~/PX4-Autopilot/Tools/simulation/gazebo-classic/sitl_gazebo-classic
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gazebo-11/plugins

Test the Docker Container

To test the Successful Setup of Docker Container, run the following commands in different Terminals (in order)

roscore
cd ~/PX4-Autopilot/ && make px4_sitl_default gazebo_iris 
roslaunch mavros px4.launch fcu_url:=udp://:14540@localhost:14557

Note: If the mavros command fails, free some resources (CPU & RAM) on your PC & Try again in 1 minute. And repeat this setup until it stops crashing. You should see a Drone in the Ground. To Test MAVROS and MAVPROXY. You can ARM the drone. List the ROS Topics and Services with the following commands.

rostopic list
rosservice list

Save the Initial Changes

To save the Initial Changes make an image of the container

docker commit ariitk ariitk/px4

Export Docker Image

To export a docker Image, type the following command

docker save -o <filename>.tar ariitk/px4

Using Docker Image

Import Docker Image

To import a docker image, type the following command

docker load -i <filename>.tar

You can then tag the import image with the following command

docker tag <image_id> my_custom_image:latest

You can find the image_id with the following command

docker image list

Make a Shared Directory between Host & Docker Container

Shared Directory Path: ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container

mkdir -p ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container

Run Docker Image

Container Name: ariitk

sudo docker run -d -it --rm -v ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container:/home/Shared-Volume/ -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix --net host --env="$(env | grep DISPLAY)" --name ariitk <image_name/image_id>

Provide Permission to DISPLAY for Docker

xhost +local:docker

If you've problem in running the GUI Applications in the Container try the following methods:

  • Make sure that output of env | grep DISPLAY should contain 1 line and should look like this: DISPLAY=:1. If not then, manually feed the DISPLAY value in the run command. For example sudo docker run -d -it --rm -v ~/Docker/Shared-Volumes/ariitk-Container:/home/Shared-Volume/ -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix --net host --env="DISPLAY=:1" --name ariitk <image_name/image_id>

  • If error = libGL error: MESA-LOADER: failed to retrieve device information. Add this parameter this in docker run : -e LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 and install the required libraries.

Note: We've provided --rm argument, so do all the work in the shared directory. Because all the data outside shared directory would be deleted as soon as the container is stopped. And in order to save any changes in the docker container, use docker commit to create a new version for the changes

Attach to Docker Container

Shell used: bash

docker exec -it ariitk /bin/bash
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