How to launch gpsd_client

[felixdivo]

This one is hopefully easy to solve: How can one launch gpsd_client? We are on foxy @ Ubuntu 20.04. What I did:

• Install gps_umd and gpsd_client via rosdep
• ros2 run gpsd_client gpsd_client -> No executable found
• ros2 launch our.launch.yaml (see below) -> long stack trace and eventually: launch.substitutions.substitution_failure.SubstitutionFailure: package 'gpsd_client' found at '/opt/ros/foxy', but libexec directory '/opt/ros/foxy/lib/gpsd_client' does not exist

Am I missing something abvious? The readme does not mention the node name so maybe that's just what is wrong.

The file our.launch.yaml is very short:

launch:
  - node:
      pkg: gpsd_client
      exec: gpsd_client
      name: gpsd_client_node

[SivertHavso]

No nodes (executables) are compiled for gpsd_client. You'll have to load it as a component, gpsd_client::GPSDClientComponent. I'm not sure how ComposableNode can be used with .yaml launch files.

However, because this function:

gps_umd/gpsd_client/src/client.cpp

Lines 65 to 76 in fc78281

	void step()
	{
	#if GPSD_API_MAJOR_VERSION >= 5
	if (!gps_->waiting(1e6))
	return;
	gps_data_t* p = gps_->read();
	#else
	gps_data_t *p = gps->poll();
	#endif
	process_data(p);
	}

is not called anywhere, nothing will actually be published. You'll have to build gpsd_client with the changes in #46 to be able to use gpsd_client in ros2.

This is also related to issue #30

[felixdivo]

Thanks @SivertHavso!

Well, I thought this would be simpler. 😅 But okay, now I get what's up with this and can probably get to run it. however, this should really by part of the distribution of the package.

[danthony06]

Okay, the #46 has been merged now.

[felixdivo]

Thank you @danthony06! Looking forward to the next release.

[felixdivo]

@danthony06 Are there plans for releasing the current version to Rolling and the upcoming Humble Hawksbill? Would be nice to use the new changes. 😃