Setting Up PX4 Development Environment – Configuring ROS(1) + PX4 Toolchain

Hello. This is Aiden from the Marketing Team.

his time, I would like to introduce the configuration of the PX4 development environment, specifically focusing on the ROS(1) + PX4 Toolchain setup. Please be advised that this content is the registered intellectual property of QUAD Drone Lab, and we kindly ask that you refrain from any unauthorized distribution.

ROS(1) + Gazebo Classic

This section explains how to install ROS(1) on the PX4 Toolchain. Since the ROS(1) Desktop Full version comes with Gazebo Classic, you typically do not install PX4 simulator dependencies directly.

ROS Noetic/Ubuntu 20.04

1. Download the PX4 source code:

git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive

git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive

2. Run ubuntu.sh (–no-sim-tools)

bash ./PX4-Autopilot/Tools/setup/ubuntu.sh

bash ./PX4-Autopilot/Tools/setup/ubuntu.sh

• Confirm all prompts while the script is running.

3. Once complete, restart your computer.

sudo apt-get install protobuf-compiler libeigen3-dev libopencv-dev -y

sudo apt-get install protobuf-compiler libeigen3-dev libopencv-dev -y

MAVROS Installation

Binary Installation (Debian/Ubuntu)

The ROS repository contains binary packages for Ubuntu x86, amd64 (x86_64), and armhf (ARMv7).
Kinetic also supports Debian Jessie amd64 and arm64 (ARMv8).

sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros-extras ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros-msgs

sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros-extras ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-mavros-msgs

Then, install GeographicLib. Run the script (opens in a new window) to install the datasets:

install_geographiclib_datasets.sh

install_geographiclib_datasets.sh

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mavlink/mavros/master/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
sudo bash ./install_geographiclib_datasets.sh   

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mavlink/mavros/master/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
sudo bash ./install_geographiclib_datasets.sh   

Launch SITL

cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl gazebo-classic_iris

cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl gazebo-classic_iris

This concludes our look at configuring ROS(1) + PX4 Toolchain, the second step in setting up the PX4 development environment. We will return with the third step: Using the Gazebo Classic Simulator.

Author: Aiden, Marketing Director of QUAD Drone Lab.

Date: 2026.02.18