Deliverable	Due Date
Base Installation (nothing to submit)	Wednesday, February 5th at 1:00PM EST
Intro to Linux Gradescope Submission	Monday, February 10th at 1:00PM EST
Intro to Git Gradescope Submission	Monday, February 10th at 1:00PM EST

Intro to RSS

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Lab Overview
• Grading
• Installation
• Using the Docker Container
  • Starting Up
  • Example Usage
  • Shutting Down
  • Local Storage
  • Tips
• Lab 1A: Intro to Linux
• Lab 1B: Intro to Git

Introduction

Welcome to RSS! In this lab, we will set up the MIT Racecar Docker image which we will use throughout this class, and get familiar with Linux and Git, which are essential tools for working in robotics.

Lab Overview

This lab is split into 3 parts:

• Base Installation: Go through the Installation and Using the Docker Container sections of this README. Setting up the MIT Racecar Docker image is essential for this class, and is a prerequisite to completing the subsequent sections of this lab.
• Lab 1A: Introduction to Linux, as it is the operating system we will be using in the docker container and on the racecars.
• Lab 1B: Introduction to Git for version control and working on code as a team.

We will also have a TA check-in on Monday, February 10th during lab time. This is not graded; the purpose is to make sure you're all set up for future labs and have a solid understanding of Linux and Git.

Grading

Problem	Weight (total: 6.0)
Intro to Linux Problem 1	0.5
Intro to Linux Problem 2	0.6
Intro to Linux Problem 3	0.4
Intro to Linux Problem 4	1.5
Intro to Git Problem 1	1.0
Intro to Git Problem 2	1.2
Intro to Git Problem 3	0.8

Installation

First install git and Docker according to your OS:

• macOS: Make sure command line tools are installed by running xcode-select --install in a terminal and then install and launch Docker Desktop. Open your Docker preferences and make sure Docker Compose V2 is enabled. If you cannot see an option for Docker Compose V2, it's most likely automatically installed.
• Windows: Install git and then install and launch Docker Desktop.
• Linux: Make sure you have git installed and then install Docker Engine for your distro and install Docker Compose V2.

Once everything is installed and running, if you're on macOS or Linux open a terminal and if you're on Windows open a PowerShell. Then clone and pull the image:

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are using a Mac with Apple silicon, after cloning the repository, you must go into the docker compose yaml file and change the image from "sebagarc/racecar2", to "sebagarc/racecarmac")

git clone https://github.com/mit-racecar/racecar_docker.git
cd racecar_docker
docker compose pull

Linux users may need to use sudo to run docker compose. The image is about 1GB compressed so this can take a couple minutes. Fortunately, you only need to do it once.

Using the Docker Container

Starting Up

Once the image is pulled you can start it by running the following in your racecar_docker directory:

docker compose up

Follow the instructions in the command prompt to connect via either a terminal or your browser. If you're using the browser interface, click "Connect" then right click anywhere on the black background to launch a terminal.

Example Usage

First, connect via the graphical interface, right click on the background and select RViz. Note: Rviz can also be launched by typing rviz2 in the terminal.

Next, right click on the background and select Terminal, then enter:

ros2 launch racecar_simulator simulate.launch.xml

A graphical interface should pop up that shows a blue car on a monochrome background (a map) and some colorful dots (simulated lidar). If you click the green "2D Pose Estimate" arrow on the top and then drag on the map you can change the position of the car. Note: when launching most scripts to be visualized, make sure that you launch Rviz first, otherwise certain features might not appear.

Close RViz and type Ctrl+C in the terminal running the simulator (in your graphical interface that is on the browser) to stop it. Now we're going to try to install some software. In any terminal run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install cmatrix

To use sudo you will need to enter the user password which is racecar@mit. Once the software is installed, run

cmatrix

You're in!

Shutting Down

To stop the image, run the following in your racecar_docker directory outside of your docker container:

docker compose down

Don't use Ctrl+c to stop the docker container! Always use the docker compose down command. If you try to rerun docker compose up without first running docker compose down the image may not launch properly.

Local Storage

Any changes made to the your home folder in the docker image (/home/racecar) will be saved to the racecar_docker/home directory your local machine but ANY OTHER CHANGES WILL BE DELETED WHEN YOU RESTART THE DOCKER IMAGE. The only changes you will ever need to make for your labs will be in your home folder, so ideally this should never be a problem --- just be careful not to keep any important files outside of that folder.

Tips

• In the graphical interface, you can move windows around by holding Alt or Command (depending on your OS) then clicking and dragging anywhere on a window. Use this to recover your windows if the title bar at the top of a window goes off screen.
• You can't copy and paste into the graphical interface but you can copy and paste into a terminal interface, opened by running docker compose exec racecar bash. You can also edit files that are in the shared home directory using an editor on your host OS.