3. Managing multiple workspaces

Before learning how to manage multiple workspace with RosTeamWorkspace be sure that you have set everything up as described in the setting up RosTeamWorkspace tutorial.

Also be sure that you opened a new terminal after you setup RosTeamWorkspace to be configured permanently.

First setup a new workspace called ws_rolling_ros2c_demos inside a ~/workspace folder.

setup-ros-workspace ~/workspace/ws_rolling_ros2c_demos rolling

When asked for confirmation just press <ENTER>. After a workspace is created, open a new terminal and execute _ws_rolling_ros2c_demos alias for sourcing your new workspace. You can then switch to the new sourced workspace with rosd. Now you can use aliases to interact with your workspace. Those can be used out of any folder you are in.

Let’s now add a test package into your workspace.

  1. Make sure your workspace is sourced by executing _ws_rolling_ros2c_demos. Then enter the source folder using rosds alias.

  2. Clone ros2_control_demos repository for testing either:

git clone git@github.com:ros-controls/ros2_control_demos.git # SSH
# or if no ssh key is setup:
git clone https://github.com/ros-controls/ros2_control_demos.git # HTTPS

  1. Go to the base of your workspace:

rosd

  1. Install dependencies to be sure we got everything:

rosdep install --from-paths src -y -i -r

Note

if rosdep command fails with a comment that binary packages can not be found by apt, try to update your rosdep index using rosdep update command or even your package index using sudo apt update.

  1. You can then build your workspace using the alias for colcon build:

cb

Everything should now have been built successfully!

Next let’s add another workspace

setup-ros-workspace ~/workspace/ws_rolling_gz_demos rolling

Now repeat the above steps to add gz_ros2_control repository for testing and execute a demo from there.

Note

if rosdep commands fails with a comment on ros-rolling-ros-gz-sim not being installed successfully, maybe force the desired gazebo version with e.g. export GZ_VERSION=fortress

Now each time you open a new terminal you can use either _ws_rolling_ros2c_demos or _ws_rolling_gz_demos to source needed workspace and use the same aliases without constantly thinking about exact workspace/folder you are working in.