sim_vehicle.py does not exist

[PouriaMzn]

Issue details

I'm trying to set up SITL on Windows 10, i installed Cygwin as is described here, then installed MAVProxy, and cloned Ardupilot source files to the Cygwin filesystem. But when i try to execute :

cd ~/ardupilot/ArduCopter
sim_vehicle.py --map --console

I get this massage: -bash: sim_vehicle.py: command not found
I checked the directory and there's no sim_vehicle.py file in it to run. Can someone help to figure this out, I don't know what i'm doing wrong.

[rajat2004]

Hi,
I haven't actually used Ardupilot on Windows before, but this happens on Linux when the Tools/autotest directory hasn't been added to the PATH, see this page: http://ardupilot.org/dev/docs/building-setup-linux.html#add-some-directories-to-your-search-path-facultative
(sim_vehicle.py is present in the Tools/autotest directory)
So I'm not sure if there's something like the PATH in Cygwin, you can try this out, or else, directly use the path of sim_vehicle.py
Something like ../Tools/autotest/sim_vehicle.py --console --map

Someone who has used Windows would be better able to help out, but I'm not sure how something like this would have gone unnoticed till now.

[magicrub]

The problem is likely just that you don't have Tools/autotest in your path. There's a new script for Cygwin installaion that I don't think is on the wiki yet. Try running the windows ps1 script. If you're using Windows 10, I highly suggest you try WSL, it's what I use and works great. It's like a mini-virtualMachine on Windows 10 and runs just like Ubuntu CLI. Just run the Ubuntu install script!

[PouriaMzn]

I solved the issue by adding the environment variable to the file sim_vehicle.py that is in ardupilot\Tools\autotest\ directory, then i executed this code
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/ardupilot/Tools/autotest in Cygwin terminal and everything just worked fine.

[Rajeta-Sarkar]

I'm still getting the error sim_vehicle.py command not found.
And when using ../Tools/autotest/sim_vehicle.py --map --console , it says module not find error : no module named pymavlink.

[khancyr]

You need to install pymavlink.
Please follow our instructions on the the wiki

[magicrub]

@Rajeta-Sarkar I highly recommend using WSL instead of cygwin

[khancyr]

I have no experience with cygwin... So I won't be much help.

Better use wsl.

Otherwise, use sim_vehicle.py and add --no-mavproxy and use your windows mavproxy to connect the sitl instance. But that isn't worth the trouble against using wsl directly

[UbhayAnand1]

Ok, @khancyr thanks. Sorry i deleted the messages cause i had not refreshed the page and did not see your reply.... Actually i figured it out, now I have to learn SITL.... But would you still recommend me to go with WSL, or should I now continue with Cygwin. It took me 6 hrs just to finally finish it.

[magicrub]

@UbhayAnand1 you can try doing pip install lxml and see what fails next, but I highly recommend using wsl instead.

[UbhayAnand1]

the pip install lxml, was failing due to some wheel error. but I went to the bin, and deleted the pip and python files,and ran the commands to install pymavlink from the wiki again, and it worked... But I will also try to use wsl now, as it seems its better.