Notes for Apple Silicon Installation

First, complete the installation of ROS2 Jazzy and Gazebo using ROS2_Jazzy_MacOS_Native_AppleSilicon.

# ROS2 Jazzy and Gazebo installation script (not needed if already executed)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/IOES-Lab/ROS2_Jazzy_MacOS_Native_AppleSilicon/main/install.sh)"

Upon completion, the paths of the installed ROS2 Jazzy and Gazebo are saved in $HOME/.ros2_jazzy_install_config. (Default paths are ros2_jazzy, gz_harmonic) Check the contents of the config file with cat $HOME/.ros2_jazzy_install_config

Now, to install ros_gz, proceed as follows:

• Diable SIP

  • Restart the Mac with long press power button
  • Select Options to boot into a recovery mode
  • Use Utilities -> Terminal and type below command to disable SIP

    csrutil disable
    

• Make workspace directory

  mkdir -p $HOME/ros_gz_ws/src
  git clone https://github.com/IOES-Lab/ROS_GZ_MacOS_Native_AppleSilicon.git
  git clone https://github.com/swri-robotics/gps_umd.git
  git clone https://github.com/rudislabs/actuator_msgs.git
  git clone https://github.com/ros-perception/vision_msgs.git
  cd $HOME/ros_gz_ws
  

• Set environment variables

  export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(brew --prefix qt@5)/lib:$(brew --prefix qt@5)/lib/cmake:/opt/homebrew/opt:${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH}
  export PATH=$(brew --prefix qt@5)/bin:$PATH
  # This is rough.. but works
  ln -s $(brew --prefix qt@5)/mkspecs /opt/homebrew/mkspecs
  ln -s $(brew --prefix qt@5)/plugins /opt/homebrew/plugins
  

• Modify TINYXML2:TINYXML2 at gz-msgs10 cmake file

  sudo nano /opt/homebrew/opt/gz-msgs10/lib/cmake/gz-msgs10/gz-msgs10-targets.cmake
  # Find TINYXML2:TINYXML2 and replace with tinyxml2::tinyxml2
  

• Compile

  source $HOME/ros2_jazzy/activate_ros
  python3.11 -m colcon build --symlink-install \
      --packages-skip-by-dep python_qt_binding \
      --cmake-args \
      -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF \
      -DCMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk \
      -Wno-dev --event-handlers console_cohesion+
  

• Add script to activate_ros

  # If Bash
  echo "source $HOME/ros_gz_ws/install/setup.bash" >> $HOME/ros2_jazzy/activate_ros
  # If Zsh
  echo "source $HOME/ros_gz_ws/install/setup.zsh" >> $HOME/ros2_jazzy/activate_ros
  

• Revert back TINYXML2:TINYXML2 at gz-msgs10 cmake file

  sudo nano /opt/homebrew/opt/gz-msgs10/lib/cmake/gz-msgs10/gz-msgs10-targets.cmake
  # Find tinyxml2::tinyxml2 and replace with  TINYXML2:TINYXML2
  

• Re-enable SIP

  • Restart the Mac with long press power button
  • Select Options to boot into a recovery mode
  • Use Utilities -> Terminal and type below command to disable SIP

    csrutil enable
    

Notes

• Finding the USB connection port

  system_profiler SPUSBDataType | awk '/ArduPilot/{found=1} found && /Location ID/{print "/dev/cu.usbmodem" int(substr($3,3,3) "01"); found=0}'
  

Integration between ROS and Gazebo

Packages

This repository holds packages that provide integration between ROS and Gazebo:

• ros_gz: Metapackage which provides all the other packages.
• ros_gz_image: Unidirectional transport bridge for images from Gazebo Transport to ROS using image_transport.
• ros_gz_bridge: Bidirectional transport bridge between Gazebo Transport and ROS.
• ros_gz_sim: Convenient launch files and executables for using Gazebo Sim with ROS.
• ros_gz_sim_demos: Demos using the ROS-Gazebo integration.
• ros_gz_point_cloud: Plugins for publishing point clouds to ROS from Gazebo Sim simulations.