Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Setup

This guide covers setting up Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for ROS2 development with Mini Pupper.

Introduction

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allows you to run a Linux environment directly on Windows. This is essential for ROS2 development on Windows machines.

Part 1: Enable and Install WSL

Step 1: Enable WSL Feature

You need to enable WSL through Windows Features:

Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures and press Enter
Check “Windows Subsystem for Linux”
Click OK and restart your computer

Step 2: Install Ubuntu 22.04

Option A: Using PowerShell (Recommended)

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04

Option B: Using Microsoft Store

If the command doesn’t work:

Open Microsoft Store
Search for “Ubuntu 22.04 LTS”
Click “Get” to install

Step 3: Create User Account

When prompted, enter:

Username: ubuntu
Password: (choose a secure password)

Step 4: Update System Packages

Run these commands in your Ubuntu terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install ubuntu-wsl -y

# Easy use of VS Code
code .

Part 2: Post-Installation Tips

File Access

Access Windows files from Linux: /mnt/c/
Access Linux files from Windows: \\wsl$\Ubuntu-22.04

Recommended Terminal

Install Windows Terminal for a better experience.

WSL Basic Commands

wsl --list --verbose   # List installed distributions
wsl --shutdown         # Stop all WSL instances
wsl -d Ubuntu-22.04    # Start specific distribution

Part 3: Configure WSL Mirror Mode

Mirror mode allows WSL to share the same IP address as your Windows host, which is essential for ROS2 networking.

Step 1: Open PowerShell

Make sure you open PowerShell (look for “PS” in the prompt).

Step 2: Navigate to Home Directory

Click on the plus sign and make sure the directory is C:\Users\username

Step 3: Create .wslconfig File

Open VS Code to create the config file:

code .wslconfig

Step 4: Add Configuration Content

Add the following content to .wslconfig:

[wsl2]
networkingMode=mirrored

[network]
generateHosts = false
generateResolvConf = false
multicast = true

Step 5: Reboot WSL

After saving the configuration, reboot WSL:

wsl --shutdown

Step 6: Verify IP Address

Check that the IP address is the same as your host PC:

Part 4: Reset Ubuntu (If Needed)

Clean Up Existing Installation

wsl -l
wsl --unregister ubuntu-22.04

Reinstall Ubuntu

Make sure your username is ubuntu:

wsl --install -d ubuntu-22.04

Part 5: Install ROS2 Desktop

Option 1: Using Mini Pupper ROS Script

git clone https://github.com/mangdangroboticsclub/mini_pupper_ros
cd mini_pupper_ros

# Revise the base to desktop ROS2 install
bash ./pc_install.sh

Option 2: Manual Installation

# Reset ros2_ws
rm -rf ~/ros2_ws/
mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ~/ros2_ws/src/

# Clone the repository
git clone -b stanford_control https://github.com/lbaitemple/mini_pupper_ros_aws mini_pupper_ros
vcs import < mini_pupper_ros/.minipupper.repos --recursive

# Install dependencies
cd ~/ros2_ws
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y

# Install additional packages
sudo apt install -y ros-humble-teleop-twist-keyboard ros-humble-teleop-twist-joy
sudo apt install -y ros-humble-v4l2-camera ros-humble-image-transport-plugins
sudo apt install -y ros-humble-rqt*
sudo apt install python3-pip -y
pip3 install simple_pid

# Build
colcon build --symlink-install

Option 3: Easy Way

git clone -b stanford_control http://github.com/lbaitemple/mini_pupper_ros_aws
cd mini_pupper_ros_aws
bash ./pc_install.sh

Part 6: Configure Firewall for ROS2

ROS2 uses specific UDP ports for communication. You need to enable these in Windows Firewall.

Step 1: Determine Ports Based on ROS_DOMAIN_ID

For ROS_DOMAIN_ID=30, the ports are:

Discovery: 13400
Topics: 13410

Step 2: Enable Firewall Rules (PowerShell Admin)

# Allow UDP port 13400 (discovery)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ROS2 Domain 30 Discovery" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 13400 -Action Allow

# Allow UDP port 13410 (topic data)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ROS2 Domain 30 Topics" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 13410 -Action Allow

# Also allow the range for multicast (optional but recommended)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ROS2 Multicast" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 13400-13410 -Action Allow

Step 3: Restart WSL

wsl --shutdown
wsl

Step 4: Verify ROS2 Topics

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=30  # if the ID is set to 30
ros2 daemon start        # may need to start the daemon in mirror mode
ros2 topic list

Part 7: Run RViz

Launch Mini Pupper Robot Model (Simulation)

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch mini_pupper_bringup bringup.launch.py hardware_connected:=False

Launch RViz for Visualization

In a second terminal:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch mini_pupper_bringup rviz.launch.py

Run Teleop Keyboard

In a third terminal:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard

Part 8: Run Gazebo Simulation

Launch Gazebo

Terminal 1:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch mini_pupper_simulation main.launch.py

Launch Robot Control

Terminal 2:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
WSL won’t start	Run `wsl --shutdown` then restart
Network issues	Check `.wslconfig` mirror mode settings
ROS2 topics not visible	Verify firewall rules and ROS_DOMAIN_ID
Permission denied	Run PowerShell as Administrator

Summary

In this guide, you learned:

How to install and configure WSL with Ubuntu 22.04
How to set up mirror mode for ROS2 networking
How to install ROS2 Desktop for Mini Pupper development
How to configure Windows Firewall for ROS2
How to run RViz and Gazebo simulations