installing ros-*-mavlink from source -> $ROSINSTALL does not exist

[ChristophTobler]

https://github.com/mavlink/mavros/blob/master/mavros/README.md

catkin_make_isolated --install-space $ROSINSTALL --install -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release

-> $ROSINSTALL should be replaced by (the beginning of?) $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH

[mhkabir]

-> $ROSINSTALL should be replaced by (the beginning of?) $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH

Yep, that's correct.

As-such I'd recommend that you switch to the new catkin build tool, which is much more simpler to use, and you can directly build mavlink in the same workspace.

[vooon]

Not exactly $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH provide several paths: workspace, installation (+ possible another workspace).

$ROSINSTALL should be manually set to place where you want to install package.

But new catkin tool is much easier, simply place mavlink-gpb package and build.

$ rosinstall_generator --rosdistro jade mavlink

- git:
    local-name: mavlink
    uri: https://github.com/mavlink/mavlink-gbp-release.git
    version: release/jade/mavlink/2015.10.10-0

[LorenzMeier]

Could you please fix the README accordingly? It's too verbose and outdated. It should contain less instructions, but those should be accurate.

[vooon]

Ok. But need to decide what tool to use: old catkin_make or catkin.

Catkin tools in my opinion more user friendly, also it is available for Indigo+ (even Hydro - Travis use it now).

[vooon]

@ChristophTobler updates?

[ChristophTobler]

when i follow these new source installation instructions I get (after wstool merge -t src /tmp/mavros.rosinstall):
ERROR in config: /home/christophtobler/catkin_ws_mavros/src has no workspace configuration file '.rosinstall'

[ChristophTobler]

And if I try to install it like this: http://answers.ros.org/answers/115386/revisions/
with a file named mavros_catkin.rosinstall with:

• git:
  uri: https://github.com/mavlink/mavros.git
  local-name: src/mavros
  version: master

as soon as I run "catkin_make" I get the error:
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp: In member function ‘void mavplugin::SystemStatusPlugin::handle_extended_sys_state(const mavlink_message_t*, uint8_t, uint8_t)’:
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:594:3: error: ‘mavlink_extended_sys_state_t’ was not declared in this scope
mavlink_extended_sys_state_t state;
^
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:594:32: error: expected ‘;’ before ‘state’
mavlink_extended_sys_state_t state;
^
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:595:47: error: ‘state’ was not declared in this scope
mavlink_msg_extended_sys_state_decode(msg, &state);
^
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:595:47: note: suggested alternative:
In file included from /usr/include/boost/thread.hpp:24:0,
from /opt/ros/jade/include/diagnostic_updater/diagnostic_updater.h:48,
from /home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/include/mavros/mavros_plugin.h:21,
from /home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:17:
/usr/include/boost/thread/future.hpp:168:14: note: ‘boost::future_state::state’
enum state { uninitialized, waiting, ready, moved, deferred };
^
/home/christophtobler/mavros_test/src/mavros/mavros/src/plugins/sys_status.cpp:595:52: error: ‘mavlink_msg_extended_sys_state_decode’ was not declared in this scope
mavlink_msg_extended_sys_state_decode(msg, &state);
^

[vooon]

https://github.com/mavlink/mavros/tree/master/mavros#source-installation - Build error note.

If you has uninitialized workspace - use init. Just read wstool init --help!

[ChristophTobler]

works, thanks!

[LorenzMeier]

@vooon could we update the docs accordingly? It seems quite a few people are challenged with building mavros.

[LorenzMeier]

Will close this once we are confident it's foolproof.