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Script overview

The .devcontainer/ directory contains three main scripts that automate the setup and verification of the TurtleBot3 development environment.

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Scripts

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post-create.sh

Purpose: One-time initialization when the container is first created When it runs: Automatically executed by postCreateCommand in devcontainer.json What it does:
  • Detects GPU capabilities (hardware vs software rendering)
  • Configures user’s .bashrc with ROS2 environment
  • Sets up environment variables
  • Creates useful bash aliases
  • Clones TurtleBot3 repositories from GitHub
  • Initializes and updates rosdep
  • Installs package dependencies
  • Creates maps directory
  • Generates GPU information file
Key features:
  • Intelligent GPU detection with software rendering fallback
  • Idempotent repository cloning (won’t re-clone if content exists)
  • Verifies package integrity by counting package.xml files
Location: .devcontainer/post-create.sh Documentation: See post-create.sh

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post-start.sh

Purpose: Build workspace and verify readiness on every container start When it runs: Automatically executed by postStartCommand in devcontainer.json What it does:
  • Sources ROS2 Jazzy environment
  • Verifies packages exist in src/ directory
  • Checks if workspace is already built
  • Builds workspace with colcon if needed
  • Displays quick start instructions
Key features:
  • Skips build if workspace is already built and functional
  • Handles Windows mount compatibility issues
  • Provides immediate feedback on container readiness
  • Shows TurtleBot3 package list after successful build
Build configuration: 
colcon build --symlink-install --cmake-args -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
Location: .devcontainer/post-start.sh Documentation: See post-start.sh

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verify-setup.sh

Purpose: Comprehensive setup verification and diagnostics When it runs: Manually by the user when needed Usage: 
bash /workspace/turtlebot3_ws/.devcontainer/verify-setup.sh
What it checks:
  1. System checks: ROS2, Gazebo, Python, colcon
  2. Package checks: TurtleBot3, Navigation2, Cartographer
  3. Environment variables: ROS_DISTRO, TURTLEBOT3_MODEL, GZ_VERSION
  4. Directory structure: Workspace, source, and build directories
  5. Build status: Build and install directories
Output:
  • Color-coded test results (green = pass, red = fail, yellow = warning)
  • Pass/fail summary
  • Quick start instructions if all tests pass
  • Troubleshooting guidance if tests fail
Location: .devcontainer/verify-setup.sh Documentation: See verify-setup.sh

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Script execution order

  1. Container creation: post-create.sh runs once
    • Sets up environment
    • Clones repositories
    • Installs dependencies
  2. Container start: post-start.sh runs every time
    • Builds workspace (if needed)
    • Verifies readiness
  3. Manual verification: verify-setup.sh runs on-demand
    • Diagnoses issues
    • Confirms setup

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Common workflows

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First time setup

# Automatic: post-create.sh runs
# Automatic: post-start.sh runs
# Manual verification (optional):
bash .devcontainer/verify-setup.sh

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Container restart

# Automatic: post-start.sh runs
# Checks if already built, skips build if yes

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Troubleshooting

# Run verification script
bash .devcontainer/verify-setup.sh

# If issues found, rebuild workspace
cb  # alias for: cd /workspace/turtlebot3_ws && colcon build --symlink-install

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Exit codes

ScriptSuccessFailure
post-create.sh0Non-zero
post-start.sh01 (no packages or build failed)
verify-setup.sh0Always 0 (shows results in output)

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Error handling

All scripts use: 
set -e  # Exit on error
This ensures that any command failure stops execution and reports the error.

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