Note: Last updated for ROS Humble. For the latest documentation, always check the official website and code repositories.

ROS, OS, and Compatibility

ROS has first class support on the Ubuntu operating system, a Linux distribution. There are releases for other operating systems, but due to the differences in package managers and the focus on Ubuntu by the community, it is often trickier to work with ROS on these devices. Even if ROS works, it is very possible you may have to build common packages from source instead of installing pre-built images.

Due to this, it is often useful to have Ubuntu Linux available on your device in some manner if you are working with ROS.

• One approach for this is the native install, which can be done in a way allowing for a dual-boot of Windows and Ubuntu Linux on the same machine. This means that when you start the computer, you are able to either boot up into Windows or Ubuntu Linux - as if your computer has split into two.
• Alternatively, you can install a virtual machine to run a virtual Ubuntu Linux machine with Windows as your host.

<aside> ⚠️ If you have conda installed on your system, it is recommended to deactivate it using conda deactivate prior to running ROS commands.

</aside>

ROS on Ubuntu

Dual Boot (Native Installation)

TODO

Virtual Machine Installation

Windows Users

Standard VM

Here’s a VM approach to installation for ROS 1 Melodic. Most of the VM installation steps should still work for later versions of Linux and ROS.

How to install ROS1 Melodic

Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2)

TODO

Mac Users

Standard VM