ROSCon 2026 ros2_control Workshop — Docker environment

Runs a PAL Robotics Kangaroo Simulation out of the box on both NVIDIA and Intel/AMD GPUs, using Zenoh (rmw_zenoh_cpp) as the ROS 2 middleware.

See the workshop slides for more info.

Prerequisites

• Docker + Docker Compose.
• NVIDIA hosts only: the NVIDIA Container Toolkit.
• An X11 desktop session (the MuJoCo GUI uses OpenGL/GLFW over X11).
• Windows:
  • Enable Linux docker daemon.
  • Install VcXsrv
  • Run XLaunch with default settings

Quick start (Linux)

# from the repo root
./run.sh          # auto-detects NVIDIA vs Mesa, allows X access, starts the container

Add this handy alias to your host ~/.bashrc:

echo 'alias rc="docker exec -it ros2_control_roscon26 bash"' >> ~/.bashrc

Part 1: Analysis of RT cycle and Decoupling I/O

See workshop_bringup/README.md

Part 2: RL Deployment

Running the demo needs four terminals, each attached to the container with rc. Aliases (z, sim, demo, teleop) are preconfigured in the container.

# Terminal 1 — Zenoh router
z

# Terminal 2 — MuJoCo simulation
sim

# Terminal 3 — Run the policy
demo

# Terminal 4 — drive the humanoid around
teleop

GPU selection

run.sh picks the backend automatically. To be explicit:

# Intel / AMD (Mesa via /dev/dri)
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml up -d

# NVIDIA (NVIDIA Container Toolkit)
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.nvidia.yaml up -d

Windows

There is no wrapper shell script, instead use explicit one of the following

docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.win.yaml up -d
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml down
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.win.yaml build

Mac

By default the container renders onto the host X11 display. On hosts without a reachable physical display (e.g. macOS, headless/remote sessions) add the noVNC overlay; it starts Xvfb + X11VNC + noVNC so GUIs are served in a browser at http://localhost:6080/vnc.html:

Important

You need to check Enable host networking in Settings → Resources → Network on Docker Desktop.

Before running the docker image, set export DISPLAY=:99.

export DISPLAY=:99
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.novnc.yaml up -d
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml down
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.novnc.yaml build

Building / pulling

./run.sh build     # build locally
# or pull the published image (default in docker-compose.yaml):
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml pull

Restart / rebuild

./run.sh          # restart a stopped container, or recreate it after a rebuild
./run.sh down     # stop and remove the container

Troubleshooting the GUI

• Blank / black MuJoCo window: the GL context is not reaching a real GPU display.
  • Run xhost +local:root on the host (once per boot). run.sh does this.
  • NVIDIA: confirm docker exec ros2_control_roscon26 nvidia-smi works and that NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=all (includes graphics).
  • Intel/AMD: confirm /dev/dri exists on the host and docker exec ros2_control_roscon26 glxinfo -B reports your GPU.
  • Remote/VNC/screen-share sessions cannot show NVIDIA direct-rendered OpenGL — run at the physical display, or use VirtualGL/TurboVNC.
• glxinfo shows llvmpipe: you are on software rendering — the GPU is not passed through. Re-check the toolkit (NVIDIA) or /dev/dri (Mesa).
• No windows appear with different errors: Run xlcock and glxgears to see if the X11 forwarding works.

Dependencies

Source packages are listed in deps.repos and built in the image. Change a version: there to test an in-review branch, then rebuild.