ROS 2 Package Generator

Starting a new ROS 2 package means writing the same boilerplate every time: a package.xml, either a setup.py and setup.cfg or a CMakeLists.txt, a node skeleton, a launch file, and the entry points that let ros2 run find your node. The ROS 2 Package Generator writes all of it in the browser and hands you a zip.

What it generates

• Python packages (ament_python) with one module and one console script per node.
• C++ packages (ament_cmake) with one executable per node and the install rules.
• A package.xml in format 3 with your dependencies, licence and maintainer.
• A Python launch file that starts every node.

How we test it

We run the generator's code headlessly, build both package types with colcon build on ROS 2 Jazzy, and start the generated launch files to check that every node comes up. Special characters in the description or maintainer name are escaped, so the files stay valid XML and Python.

Who it is for

Students meeting ROS 2 for the first time, who can see a complete, correct package before writing their own, and experienced developers who want a clean skeleton in ten seconds without opening a terminal.

Open the ROS 2 Package Generator. The guides below explain every file it writes and the build errors you are most likely to meet.