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💻 Development Environment Setup

This page will walk you through how to set up VSCode to connect to the Docker image and run ROS code. You are free to use any IDE you wish, but VSCode is (in our experience) the easiest way to achieve what we need for this class.

💻 Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have: - ✅ Ubuntu 22.04 LTS installed - ✅ Python 3.8+ installed - ✅ ROS 2 Humble installed via the provided docker image

  1. Visit code.visualstudio.com/download and download the installer.
  2. Go to the extensions screen on the left side of your screen (Or hit Ctrl+Shift+X) and install the Remote Development package, the Container Tools package, the Docker package, the Python package, the ROS package and the Python Debugger package. We also recommend installing a python linter (i.e. Pylance, RUFF) to help with debugging.
  3. (WSL only) With WSL open, click the blue button in the bottom left of VSCode and select "Connect to WSL". VSCode should look like it is closing and reopening.
  4. Open a new terminal in VSCode using the Terminal menu on the top on your screen (or Ctrl+Shfit+`). You can check to make sure the connection worked by making sure the username displayed in the terminal matches what's displayed in WSL.
  5. Run the docker compose command from the last seciton to verify that VSCode can properly connect to the Docker.

🐍 PyCharm (Alternative)

Install PyCharm

# Install PyCharm Community Edition
sudo snap install pycharm-community --classic

# Or download from JetBrains website
# https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/

🔍 Troubleshooting Common Issues

VS Code Issues

Problem Solution
Python not found Check interpreter path in settings
Extensions not working Restart VS Code, check installation
ROS commands not found Source ROS environment in terminal

Environment Issues

Problem Solution
Virtual env not activated Run source ~/robotics_env/bin/activate
Packages not found Check pip installation, verify environment
ROS topics not visible Check ROS_DOMAIN_ID, source setup.bash

🆘 Getting Help

Development Resources

Course Support

  • Piazza: Ask questions on course forum
  • Office Hours: Get help from TA or instructor
  • Lab Sessions: Hands-on help during labs

Last updated: Fall 2025 • Back to Resources