Installing ROS 1 on Raspberry Pi

Robot Operating System (ROS) is an open-source framework widely used for robotic applications. This guide walks you through installing ROS 1 (Noetic) on a Raspberry Pi running Ubuntu. ROS 1 Noetic is the recommended version for Raspberry Pi and supports Ubuntu 20.04.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

Raspberry Pi 4 or later with at least 4GB of RAM (8GB is recommended for larger projects).
Ubuntu 20.04 installed on the Raspberry Pi (Desktop or Server version).
Internet connection for downloading and installing packages.

Step 1: Set Up Your Raspberry Pi

Update and Upgrade System Packages:
```
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

Install Required Dependencies:

sudo apt install -y curl gnupg2 lsb-release

Step 2: Configure ROS Repositories

Add the ROS Repository Key:

sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ros/rosdistro/master/ros.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Add the ROS Noetic Repository:

echo "deb http://packages.ros.org/ros/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros-latest.list

Update Package List:
```
sudo apt update
```

Step 3: Install ROS 1 Noetic

Install the Full ROS Desktop Version:

sudo apt install -y ros-noetic-desktop-full

Verify the Installation: Check the installed ROS version:
```
rosversion -d
```
This should return noetic.

Step 4: Initialize ROS Environment

Set Up ROS Environment Variables:

echo "source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Install rosdep: rosdep is a dependency management tool for ROS:
```
sudo apt install -y python3-rosdep
```
Initialize rosdep:
```
sudo rosdep init
rosdep update
```

Step 5: Test the ROS Installation

Run roscore: Start the ROS master process:
```
roscore
```
Leave this terminal open.
Open a New Terminal and Run turtlesim: Launch a simple simulation:
```
rosrun turtlesim turtlesim_node
```
Move the Turtle: Open another terminal and control the turtle using:
```
rosrun turtlesim turtle_teleop_key
```
Use the arrow keys to move the turtle in the simulation.

Step 6: Install Additional ROS Tools

To enhance your ROS setup, install the following:

catkin Tools:

sudo apt install -y python3-catkin-tools

Common ROS Packages:

sudo apt install -y ros-noetic-rviz ros-noetic-rqt ros-noetic-rqt-common-plugins

GPIO and Hardware Libraries (for Pi-specific projects):
```
sudo apt install -y wiringpi pigpio
```

Troubleshooting

Issue: rosdep not initializing properly.
Fix: Ensure network connectivity and retry:
```
sudo rosdep init
rosdep update
```
Issue: ROS environment variables not set.
Fix: Manually source the ROS setup file:
```
source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash
```

Conclusion

Your Raspberry Pi is now configured with ROS 1 Noetic, ready for robotic projects. With this setup, you can develop and deploy various ROS packages, integrate hardware, and experiment with advanced robotic systems.

Happy building!

Created 2024-12-15, Updated 2024-12-28
Authors: Harminder Singh Nijjar (2)

Installing ROS 1 on Raspberry Pi