Bluewhale Robot Open source code repository usage and ROS startup task configuration.

Some of Xiaoqiang’s software source code is shared with Bluewhale Robot’s open source code repository，Anybody can freely download or use it for futher development.

For Xiaoqiang users, the software in the open source Code repository can be directly git cloned into Xiaoqiang’s ROS working directory, and then can be compiled and used directly with ROS’s catkin_make. Xiaoqiang’s ROS working directory is: /home/xiaoqiang/Documents/ros/src

The following will use the startup package in the open source repository as an example to demonstrate the complete use of the open source repository

1. Startup package introduction

After the Xiaoqiang host starts up, it will automatically start the Linux service script named startup. When the service script runs, it will start the replica which is registered in ubuntu system by startup.launch file. Therefore, by modifying the startup.launch file in the startup package, and then registering this file as a startup service in the ubuntu system, we can control the booting tasks of the Xiaoqiang host.

2. Download and install startup package on Xiaoqiang host

a. In the local remote control terminal ssh connection Xiaoqiang host, refer to the configuration of the previous tutorial

ssh xiaoqiang@192.168.x.x

b. Enter Xiaoqiang’s ROS working directory to see if there is a startup folder

cd Documents/ros/src/
ls

If it exists, it indicates that the startup package has been installed. You can directly perform the following third step. If you want to update the startup package synchronously with the open source repository, enter the following command:

cd startup
git stash
git pull
cd ..

3.Modify the startup.launch file in the launch folder in the package

Using the vscode editor installed in the previous tutorial, Edit this file directly on the local machine（If you need to remotely access Xiaoqiang’s host file directory, please refer to the previous basic operation tutorial to configure.）

In the arrow area above, add or delete the ROS launch file and ROS node that you need to launch. These items will be added to the boot of the Xiaoqiang host in the following. Xiaoqiang will automatically run these items when booted next time. Finally, save and exit.

4.Register the startup.launch file as a startup startup service on Xiaoqiang host

Please continue to enter in the ssh window in the second section above.

a. First stop and delete the previously registered startup service

sudo service startup stop
rosrun robot_upstart uninstall startup

b. Re-register startup service

rosrun robot_upstart install startup/launch/startup.launch
sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl start startup

5.Remotely restart Xiaoqiang’s host and check if the boot startup item is loaded normally

Then enter the ssh window above

a. Send a reboot command

sudo shutdown -r now

b. Start a new ssh connection

ssh xiaoqiang@192.168.x.x

c. Check the status of the startup service

sudo service startup status

Normally, it will show startup start/running as shown in the figure below.

d. You can also further see if the related topic has been published

rostopic list

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