Create Catkin Workspace¶

In this exercise, we will create a ROS catkin workspace.

Motivation¶

Any ROS project begins with making a workspace. In this workspace, you will put all the things related to this particular project. In this module we will create the workspace where we will build the components of our Scan-N-Plan application.

Reference Example¶

Steps to creating a workspace: Creating a Catkin Workspace

Note: Many current examples on ros.org use the older-style catkin_init_workspace commands. These are similar, but not directly interchangeable with the catkin_tools commands used in this course.

##Further Information and Resources Using a Catkin Workspace: Using a Workspace

Scan-N-Plan Application: Problem Statement¶

We have a good installation of ROS, and we need to take the first step to setting up our particular application. Your goal is to create a workspace - a catkin workspace - for your application and its supplements.

Scan-N-Plan Application: Guidance¶

Create a Catkin Workspace¶

Create the root workspace directory (we'll use catkin_ws)

cd ~/
mkdir --parents catkin_ws/src
cd catkin_ws

Initialize the catkin workspace
```
catkin init
```
Build the workspace. This command may be issued anywhere under the workspace root-directory (i.e. catkin_ws).
```
catkin build
```
- The catkin_ws directory now contains additional directories (build, devel, logs) which can be deleted at any time. Re-run catkin build to re-create them.
Make the workspace visible to ROS. Source the setup file in the devel directory.
```
source devel/setup.bash
```
- This file MUST be sourced for every new terminal.
- To save typing, add this to your ~/.bashrc file, so it is automatically sourced for each new terminal:
  1. gedit ~/.bashrc
  2. add to the end: source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash
  3. save and close the editor

Open Source Feedback

See something that needs improvement? Please open a pull request on this GitHub page