colcon-cargo-ros2 0.2.0

Extension for colcon to build Rust ROS 2 packages with automatic binding generation and ament installation

colcon-cargo-ros2

Build Rust ROS 2 packages with automatic message binding generation.

colcon-cargo-ros2 is a colcon extension that enables seamless integration of Rust packages in ROS 2 workspaces. It automatically generates Rust bindings for ROS message types, manages dependencies, and installs packages in ament-compatible layout.

Features

• Automatic Binding Generation: Generates Rust bindings for messages, services, and actions on-demand
• Smart Caching: SHA256-based checksums for fast incremental builds
• Workspace-Level Bindings: Bindings generated once and shared across all packages
• Zero Configuration: Just add dependencies to Cargo.toml - bindings are handled automatically
• Ament Compatible: Installs to standard ament locations for seamless ROS 2 integration

Installation

From PyPI (Recommended)

pip install colcon-cargo-ros2

From Source

git clone https://github.com/jerry73204/colcon-cargo-ros2.git
cd colcon-cargo-ros2
pip install packages/colcon-cargo-ros2/

Quick Start

1. Create a ROS 2 Workspace

mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ~/ros2_ws

2. Create a Rust ROS 2 Package

cd src
cargo new --bin my_robot_node
cd my_robot_node

3. Add ROS Dependencies

Cargo.toml:

[package]
name = "my_robot_node"
version = "0.1.0"
edition = "2021"

[dependencies]
rclrs = "0.6"
std_msgs = "*"
geometry_msgs = "*"

package.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-model href="http://download.ros.org/schema/package_format3.xsd" schematypens="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"?>
<package format="3">
  <name>my_robot_node</name>
  <version>0.1.0</version>
  <description>Example Rust ROS 2 node</description>
  <maintainer email="[e-mail]">Your Name</maintainer>
  <license>Apache-2.0</license>

  <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>

  <depend>rclrs</depend>
  <depend>std_msgs</depend>
  <depend>geometry_msgs</depend>

  <export>
    <build_type>ament_cargo</build_type>
  </export>
</package>

src/main.rs:

use rclrs::{Context, Node, RclrsError};
use std_msgs::msg::String as StringMsg;

fn main() -> Result<(), RclrsError> {
    let context = Context::new(std::env::args())?;
    let node = Node::new(&context, "my_robot_node")?;

    let publisher = node.create_publisher::<StringMsg>("chatter", 10)?;

    let mut count = 0;
    loop {
        let mut msg = StringMsg::default();
        msg.data = format!("Hello from Rust! {}", count);
        publisher.publish(msg)?;

        println!("Published: {}", count);
        count += 1;

        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1));
    }
}

4. Build with colcon

cd ~/ros2_ws
source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash  # Or your ROS 2 distro
colcon build --symlink-install

The extension will:

1. Discover ROS dependencies from Cargo.toml and package.xml
2. Generate Rust bindings for std_msgs and geometry_msgs
3. Build your Rust package with cargo
4. Install binaries to install/my_robot_node/lib/my_robot_node/

5. Run Your Node

source install/setup.bash
ros2 run my_robot_node my_robot_node

Package Structure

For colcon-cargo-ros2 to recognize your package:

• Both files required: package.xml AND Cargo.toml in the package root
• Build type: package.xml must specify <build_type>ament_cargo</build_type> in the <export> section
• Dependencies: List ROS dependencies in both Cargo.toml and package.xml

Verify packages are detected:

$ colcon list
my_robot_node   src/my_robot_node   (ament_cargo)

Building

Basic Commands

# Build all packages
colcon build

# Build specific package
colcon build --packages-select my_robot_node

# Build with release optimizations
colcon build --cargo-args --release

# Verbose output
colcon build --event-handlers console_direct+

Using Custom Interfaces

Custom interface packages follow the standard ROS 2 procedure (CMake-based with rosidl_generate_interfaces). Simply add them as dependencies in your Rust package's Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
my_custom_interfaces = "*"

Bindings will be generated automatically during the build.

How It Works

Workspace-Level Binding Generation

When building a colcon workspace, colcon-cargo-ros2:

1. Discovers Packages: Finds all ROS dependencies via ament index
2. Generates Bindings: Creates Rust bindings in build/ros2_bindings/
3. Configures Cargo: Updates each package's .cargo/config.toml with patches
4. Builds: Runs cargo build with workspace-level config
5. Installs: Copies binaries and creates ament markers

Workspace Structure:

ros2_ws/
├── build/
│   └── ros2_bindings/          # Shared bindings (generated once)
│       ├── std_msgs/
│       ├── geometry_msgs/
│       └── my_interfaces/
├── install/
│   ├── my_robot_node/
│   │   ├── lib/my_robot_node/  # Binaries
│   │   └── share/              # Metadata
│   └── my_interfaces/
└── src/
    ├── my_robot_node/
    │   ├── Cargo.toml
    │   ├── package.xml
    │   └── .cargo/config.toml  # Auto-generated patches
    └── my_interfaces/

Benefits

• No Duplication: std_msgs generated once, not per-package
• Fast Builds: Intelligent caching skips regeneration when possible
• Clean Workspace: colcon clean removes all generated code
• Standard Cargo: Normal Cargo workflows work as expected

Troubleshooting

"Package not found in ament index"

Make sure the ROS 2 environment is sourced:

source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash

"error: failed to select a version"

This usually means bindings weren't generated. Try:

# Clean and rebuild
rm -rf build install
colcon build

Build fails with linking errors

Ensure all dependencies are listed in both Cargo.toml and package.xml:

<depend>std_msgs</depend>
<depend>geometry_msgs</depend>

Requirements

• Python: 3.8 or later
• ROS 2: Humble, Iron, or Jazzy
• Rust: 1.70 or later (stable toolchain)
• colcon: Latest version

License

Apache-2.0 (compatible with ROS 2 ecosystem)

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, architecture details, and guidelines.

Related Projects

• ros2_rust - Official Rust bindings for ROS 2
• r2r - Alternative Rust bindings
• colcon - Build tool for ROS 2

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions