See also: Downloading source code

Step 1: preinstall (os-specific)

This step brings your machine up to the minimal functionality needed to run the ROS installer: gcc, Python 2.5+, PyYaml, CMake, Subversion, and wget.

Ubuntu 08.04 and newer:

• sudo apt-get install build-essential python-yaml cmake subversion

Fedora 11:

• sudo yum groupinstall 'Development Tools'
  sudo yum install wget cmake PyYAML

Arch Linux:

• sudo pacman -S python cmake wget
  yaourt -S python-yaml

Mac OS X 10.5 (experimental):

• Install Apple's Developer Tools: http://developer.apple.com/Tools

• Install MacPorts http://www.macports.org/install.php

• If you have problems, you may find help at ROS/OSX

In theory, ROS will work with either Python 2.5 ("py25") or Python 2.6 ("py26"). However, many packages have hard-coded py25 dependencies in their rosdep.yaml files. You will have to change each of these if you are using py26. Here are instructions for using Python 2.5:

• sudo port -v selfupdate
  sudo port install wget cmake py25-yaml python_select
  sudo python_select python25
  sudo ln -s /opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework /Library/Frameworks/

  rosboost-cfg cannot generate the correct include/link path of the Boost library installed by macports. You will need to use this workaround (you may want add into your .bashrc) :

  export CPATH=/opt/local/include
  export LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/local/lib

Step 2: install (os-neutral)

The rosconfig tool can now install a configuration of ROS on your machine. The following lines will download the ROS source code, and bootstrap the installation. The sample configuration used below will place everything in subdirectories inside the ~/ros directory, one subdirectory for each entry in the rosconfig file. This will take a while, but it should be fully automated once the initial system dependencies are installed by the rosdep tool.

wget --no-check-certificate http://ros.org/rosconfig -O ~/rosconfig
chmod 755 ~/rosconfig

You now need to rosconfig to install using a config file. We've created two default configs to use: "all" (kitchen sink) and "ros" (just ROS). The rosconfig format is just a list of SVN repositories, so it's easy to create your own.

Kitchen Sink Install:

• Recommended, includes tutorials and various packages.

  ~/rosconfig bootstrap -s http://ros.org/rosconfigs/all.rosconfig ~/ros roscpp

ROS-only Install:

• Includes basic ROS and tutorials.

  ~/rosconfig bootstrap -s http://ros.org/rosconfigs/ros.rosconfig ~/ros roscpp

Willow Garage Install:

• Willow Garage employees should use the wg-all configuration, which pulls ros from the rc tag.

  ~/rosconfig bootstrap -s http://ros.org/rosconfigs/wg-all.rosconfig ~/ros roscpp

Environment Setup

It's convenient if the ROS environment variables are automatically added to your bash session every time a new shell is launched:

 ~/rosconfig setup ~/ros > ~/.bashrc.ros
echo "source ~/.bashrc.ros" >> ~/.bashrc

Then, open a new terminal window, logout/login, or source your ~/.bashrc file.

Tutorials

Now, to test your installation, please proceed to the ROS Tutorials.

Advanced Installation

If multiple developers are working on the same machine (e.g., a machine onboard a robot), a shared installation might save space and time.

There is an experimental method to install pre-compiled binaries.