Setup ROS for multiple machines

1. Pre-request

• Setup ssh for all computers, usually ssh-client is installed but not ssh-server.

    sudo apt-get install openssh-server
    sudo service ssh status
    sudo ufw allow ssh
  

• Set host IP for each computer:
  • Get the IP:

      hostname -I
    

  • set IP for ROS_IP

      export ROS_IP=$IP_ADDR$
    

2. Master

There will be a computer run as master machine where roscore will be run.

• Set ROS_MASTER_URI

    export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://localhost:11311
  

• Start roscore
• Start test program

    rosrun rospy_tutorials listener.py
  

3. Slaves (other machines)

• ssh to remote PC
• Set ROS_MASTER_URI

    export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://$MASTER_IP_HERE$:11311
  

• Start test program

    rosrun rospy_tutorials talker.py
  

We should see in the master the message sent by slave is received.

http://nootrix.com/software/ros-networking/