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Beginners
Guides for new members: the terminal, a Docker development environment, a first ROS 2 package, the simulator and rigid body transforms.
These guides are for members who have not used Linux, ROS 2 or the simulator before, and they need a laptop but no car. The hands-on ones run in the club’s Docker development environment. Work through them in order, because each builds on the ones before it, and the rest of the docs assume what they teach.
The development environment runs ROS 2 Humble in Docker, while the cars run ROS 2 Jazzy natively on Ubuntu 24.04.
- Terminal FoundationsThe concise Racerbot terminal cheat sheet: exactly the shell skills the team's Linux terminal skills assessment tests, plus a short list of external lessons worth your time.
- Dev Environment SetupSet up the Racerbot ROS 2 development environment on macOS, Linux or Windows: Docker Desktop, the racerbot_ws workspace container, verification checkpoints and troubleshooting.
- ROS 2 PrimerA hands-on ROS 2 primer for Racerbot members: your first package, node, topic, launch file and rosbag, each with a working checkpoint, ending where the first autonomous lab begins.
- Sim QuickstartGet a simulated Racerbot race running in under an hour with f1tenth_gym_ros, then step up to AutoDRIVE for higher-fidelity testing.
- Rigid Body TransformsA visual guide to rotation matrices, homogeneous coordinates and changing reference frames — the maths behind how the car's sensors, chassis and map relate in ROS 2.