ROS2 on Windows10 questions

[Steve " 'dillo" Okay]

For various reasons, I'm trying to get ROS2 "Bouncy" running on Windows 10. 

I have things installed having followed the docs here:

github.com/ros2/ros2/wiki/Windows-Install-Binary

I've figured out how to get to the Environment variables dialog and set up my PATH in the System Env. Variables dialog. 

When trying to run the basic example:

ros2 run demo_nodes_py listener

This crashes with the error message "The term 'ros2' is not recognized s the name of a cmdlet..."

if I try to run ros2 with an absolute path I get:
"pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:The 'ros2cli==0.5.4' distribution was not found and is required by the application"

Not being very familiar with doing things in Windows or Powershell, I'm sure I'm making some very simple, basic mistakes about pathing and environment variables, despite having followed the docs and being able to install Python, OpenCV, etc. 

I'm hoping somebody else here has done this already and can enlighten a poor Linux geek on what he's missing out on. 

Thanks,

'dillo

[Steve " 'dillo" Okay]

On Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 2:02:11 PM UTC-7, Steve " 'dillo" Okay wrote:

For various reasons, I'm trying to get ROS2 "Bouncy" running on Windows 10. 

I have things installed having followed the docs here:

github.com/ros2/ros2/wiki/Windows-Install-Binary

I've figured out how to get to the Environment variables dialog and set up my PATH in the System Env. Variables dialog. 

When trying to run the basic example:

ros2 run demo_nodes_py listener

This crashes with the error message "The term 'ros2' is not recognized s the name of a cmdlet..."

if I try to run ros2 with an absolute path I get:
"pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:The 'ros2cli==0.5.4' distribution was not found and is required by the application"

Not being very familiar with doing things in Windows or Powershell, I'm sure I'm making some very simple, basic mistakes about pathing and environment variables, despite having followed the docs and being able to install Python, OpenCV, etc. 

Of course, 5 minutes after throwing up my hands and posting here, I figured it out. At least my immediate problem. 
I was able to get the basic talker/listener demo running by running it from a Console shell instead of Powershell. 

This is not entirely clear from the Github README.md , but again, I'm willing to cop to this being Windows n00b mistakes. 

I'll let you all know how things progress. 

'dillo

[Mark Johnston]

An honest mistake.

Powershell has a 3" thick book to explain it and is extremely powerful but good old command prompt is the tried and true although crude shell.

Way to go on Ros2 though.   Sounds like fun

[Steve " 'dillo" Okay]

Probably the most frustrating part is that the two shells seem to exist in almost entirely different universes. 

You can get a dump of environment variables in Powershell, but few/none of them seem to have any effect.
Anyway, yeah, I'm still exploring, working to have a Turtlebot rolling around Real Soon Now. 

What's more interesting is that the ROS2 demos for the Turtlebot 2 have chosen to use the Orbbec Astra Camera vs. others. 

Which makes sense when you think about it for a moment. All the other Xtion-alikes have been deprecated. 

I'll let you all know how it goes. 

'dillo