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Ubuntu System Installation Guide

This tutorial will guide you through the installation and configuration of the Ubuntu system to prepare for the robot development environment.

Recommended Environment at a Glance

For new projects, please use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS + ROS 2 (Humble) + Python ≥ 3.11. This is the combination we mainly promote and continuously maintain; Ubuntu 20.04 and ROS 1 are only for legacy projects and are not recommended for installation.

System Requirements​

Hardware Requirements​

ComponentMinimum RequirementRecommended Configuration
CPUDual-core 2.0 GHzQuad-core 2.5 GHz or higher
Memory4 GB RAM8 GB RAM or more
Storage25 GB available space50 GB or more
GraphicsSupports 1024×768 resolutionSupports 1920×1080 or higher
NetworkInternet connectionStable broadband connection

Supported Architectures​

  • x86_64 (AMD64): Most modern computers
  • ARM64: Apple Silicon Mac, ARM servers, etc.

Downloading Ubuntu​

1. Visit the Official Website​

2. Choose a Version​

Choose the appropriate Ubuntu version based on your use case:

✅ Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (recommended, ROS 2 supported version)​

  • Support period: April 2022 - April 2027 (5 years of support)
  • Features: The version we mainly promote, natively supports ROS 2 Humble LTS, with the best compatibility with SDKs / host software
  • Download: Ubuntu Release page
  • ROS 2 installation: → Jump to ROS 2 Humble installation
  • Support period: April 2020 - April 2025 (5 years of support, standard maintenance has ended)
  • Features: Only used for old projects that must use ROS 1 Noetic; we no longer continuously adapt new features for it
  • Download: Ubuntu Release page
  • ROS 1 installation: → Jump to ROS 1 Noetic installation
Version Selection Advice

Unless you need to be compatible with ROS 1-based legacy code, please choose Ubuntu 22.04 LTS directly.

3. Download the Image​

  1. Choose the appropriate version type
  2. Click the Download button
  3. Wait for the download to complete

Creating a Bootable USB Drive​

Using Rufus (Windows)​

  1. Download and install Rufus
  2. Insert a USB flash drive (at least 8GB)
  3. Open Rufus and select your USB device
  4. Click the Select button and choose the downloaded Ubuntu ISO file
  5. Select GPT for the partition scheme
  6. Select UEFI (non-CSM) for the target system
  7. Click Start to create the bootable USB drive

Installing Ubuntu​

1. Start the Installer​

  1. Insert the prepared bootable USB drive into the target computer
  2. Restart the computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings
  3. Set the USB device as the first boot option
  4. Save the settings and restart

2. Choose Installation Options​

After booting, you will see the Ubuntu installation menu:

  • Try Ubuntu: Trial mode, not installed to the hard drive
  • Install Ubuntu: Install directly to the hard drive
  • OEM install: OEM installation mode

Select Install Ubuntu to continue.

3. Keyboard Layout​

Select your keyboard layout, usually Chinese or English (US).

4. Network Connection​

Network Connection

It is recommended to keep the network connected during installation to download updates and third-party software.

5. Installation Type​

Choose the appropriate installation type:

Normal installation​

  • Included content: Complete desktop environment + common software (browser, office suite, media player, etc.)
  • Disk usage: About 15-20 GB
  • Use cases: Daily use, development work, learning
  • Advantages: Ready to use out of the box, no need to install common software separately

Minimal installation​

  • Included content: Only the basic desktop environment + essential system tools (no office software, media player, etc.)
  • Disk usage: About 8-10 GB
  • Use cases: Devices with limited resources, users who want to customize installed software
  • Advantages: More streamlined system, faster startup, saves disk space

Selection advice:

  • If you only need the most basic system environment, or plan to install the required software yourself, it is recommended to choose Minimal installation.
  • If you want it ready to use out of the box, it is recommended to choose Normal installation.

:::

Important Option Configuration​

It is recommended to check the following options:

  • ✅ Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware
    • Ensures the graphics card and wireless network card work properly
  • ✅ Download updates while installing Ubuntu
    • Automatically download the latest updates during installation, saving time later

6. Disk Partitioning​

Select Erase disk and install Ubuntu, and the system will automatically handle partitioning.

Option 2: Manual partitioning (advanced users)​

Select Something else for manual partitioning:

Mount PointSizeFile SystemDescription
/30-50 GBext4Root partition
/homeRemaining spaceext4User data
swap4-8 GBswapVirtual memory
/boot/efi512 MBFAT32EFI boot partition

7. User Setup​

Fill in the user information:

  • Your name: Your name
  • Your computer's name: Computer name
  • Pick a username: Username
  • Choose a password: Password
  • Confirm your password: Confirm password

8. Start Installation​

Click Install Now to start the installation process

Post-Installation Configuration​

Installing ROS (Robot Operating System)​

Version Selection

We mainly promote ROS 2 (Humble), which should be installed on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. ROS 1 Noetic is only suitable for legacy projects on Ubuntu 20.04 and is not recommended for new users to install.

# It is recommended to use the "FishROS Installer" to install ROS 2 Humble with one click, which is simple and efficient, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

# 1. Download and run the FishROS Installer
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget -y
wget http://fishros.com/install -O fishros && . fishros

# 2. Follow the prompts and select "ROS2 Humble" to install
# After running the installer, select the corresponding ROS version (e.g., ROS2 Humble) and follow the prompts to complete the installation.

# 3. After installation, it is recommended to restart the terminal or run the following command to apply the environment variables
source ~/.bashrc

# 4. (Optional) Verify the ROS 2 installation
ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

# For detailed tutorials and FAQs, please refer to the official FishROS Installer documentation: https://fishros.org.cn/forum/topic/7

Verifying the ROS 2 Installation​

# Check the ROS 2 version
printenv ROS_DISTRO   # Should output humble

# ROS 2 verification: run turtlesim
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 run turtlesim turtlesim_node
Verification Successful
  • ROS 2: If you see the turtlesim window open, the ROS 2 installation was successful!
Not Recommended

The following steps are only for reference by users who need to be compatible with old ROS 1 projects. For new projects, please use ROS 2 Humble above.

# Only use on Ubuntu 20.04. It is recommended to use the "FishROS Installer" to install ROS 1 Noetic with one click.

# 1. Download and run the FishROS Installer
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget -y
wget http://fishros.com/install -O fishros && . fishros

# 2. Follow the prompts and select "ROS1 Noetic" to install

# 3. After installation, apply the environment variables
source ~/.bashrc

# 4. (Optional) Verify the ROS installation
roscore

Verifying the ROS 1 Installation​

# Check the ROS 1 version
rosversion -d   # ROS 1

# ROS 1 verification: run turtlesim
source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash
rosrun turtlesim turtlesim_node

Verifying the Installation​

1. Check System Information​

# View the system version
lsb_release -a

# View hardware information
lscpu
free -h
df -h

2. Test Basic Functions​

# Test the network connection
ping -c 4 baidu.com

# Test package management
sudo apt update

# Test user permissions
sudo whoami

Next Steps​

After installation, you can:

  1. Continue learning the Conda Environment Management tutorial
  2. Continue learning the Git Installation tutorial
  3. Dive deeper into the ROS robot operating system
  4. Configure the development environment and IDE