docs: install_ubuntu_src

[azeey-test]

Configuration

• buildType: Source
• os: Ubuntu Noble

Links

• Live
• Source

Process

Step 1 - Instructions work

Step 2 - Images (if there are any) match the result

[Mechazo11]

Interested

[Mechazo11]

• Test enviornment

  CPU: Ryzen 5 5600x, Ram: 32GB @ 3200 Mhz, GPU: RTX 3080
  Clean copy of Ubuntu 24.04 Humble
  ROS 2 Jazzy Jalisco Full desktop installation
  

• Summary

  • Can build and source Gazebo Ionic packages but some auxilillary instructions/software fails to build.

• Issues

  1. Commands pip install vcstool || pip3 install vcstool and pip install -U colcon-common-extensions || pip3 install -U colcon-common-extensions throws externally-managed-enviornment error. This appears to be a reported problem since Python 3.11+.

  2. colcon build --cmake-args -DQT_QML_DEBUG --merge-install fails with the following error message

  colcon build --cmake-args -DQT_QML_DEBUG --merge-install
  Starting >>> gz-cmake4
  --- stderr: gz-cmake4
  CMake Error: Parse error in command line argument: QT_QML_DEBUG
  Should be: VAR:type=value
  
  CMake Error: Run 'cmake --help' for all supported options.
  Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_core/executor/__init__.py", line 91, in __call__
      rc = await self.task(*args, **kwargs)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_core/task/__init__.py", line 93, in __call__
      return await task_method(*args, **kwargs)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_ros/task/cmake/build.py", line 34, in build
      rc = await extension.build(
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_cmake/task/cmake/build.py", line 87, in build
      rc = await self._reconfigure(args, env)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_cmake/task/cmake/build.py", line 182, in _reconfigure
      buildfile = get_buildfile(cmake_cache)
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/colcon_cmake/task/cmake/__init__.py", line 114, in get_buildfile
      if 'Visual Studio' in generator:
      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  TypeError: argument of type 'NoneType' is not iterable
  ---
  Failed   <<< gz-cmake4 [0.02s, exited with code 1]
  
  Summary: 0 packages finished [0.15s]
  1 package failed: gz-cmake4
  1 package had stderr output: gz-cmake4
  15 packages not processed
  argument of type 'NoneType' is not iterable
  

• Fixes

  • For issue 1, just using the .deb package installation technique for installing vcstool, colcon-common-extensions in Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04.

• Comments/Suggestions

  • sudo apt-get install git may be unnecessary.

  • Adding instructions for adding 8GB - 16GB additional swap space. When building multiple packages such as gz-gui9, gz-physics8, gz-sensors9, the ram requirement did exceed 15GB.

  • colcon build --merge-install worked but took $25$ mins

  • colcon build --cmake-args ' -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF' ' -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug' --merge-install worked and took $9$ mins

  • colcon build --packages-select gz-sim9 --cmake-args -DQT_QML_DEBUG --merge-install would also work if gz-cmake4 error is solved.

  • For the Troubleshooting section there should be a TOC or short one-two linear paragraph stating the type of issues and solutions currently covered in that document file.

[j-rivero]

Great review @Mechazo11 ! I'm processing your suggestions.

Commands pip install vcstool || pip3 install vcstool and pip install -U colcon-common-extensions || pip3 install -U colcon-common-extensions throws externally-managed-enviornment error. This appears to be a reported problem since Python 3.11+.

gazebosim/docs#493

[j-rivero]

CMake Error: Parse error in command line argument: QT_QML_DEBUG
Should be: VAR:type=value

Fixed by gazebosim/docs#494, first commit

sudo apt-get install git may be unnecessary.

Used by vcs under the hood, quite sure we need it.

• Adding instructions for adding 8GB - 16GB additional swap space. When building multiple packages such as gz-gui9, gz-physics8, gz-sensors9, the ram requirement did exceed 15GB.

Added a note about the number of RAM needed and how to limit the compilation threads. gazebosim/docs#494, second commit.

• For the Troubleshooting section there should be a TOC or short one-two linear paragraph stating the type of issues and solutions currently covered in that document file.

Leave this one for you if you are interested in patching the doc :)

[Mechazo11]

@azeey-test I think this one can be closed

[j-rivero]

@azeey-test I think this one can be closed

as said, great work!