waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...

[jaraujo98]

Thank you for sharing this amazing project!

I'm trying to run the MuJoCo sim2sim. I followed all the instructions with no problem. However, when I run the sim2sim command, it gets stuck on a loop printing these two messages.

[spawner-2] [INFO] [1756323641.535721914] [spawner_standby_controller]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...
[spawner-1] [INFO] [1756323641.596336411] [spawner_state_estimator]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...

I tried several things to debug this. One thing I noticed is that nodes /spawner_standby_controller and /spawner_state_estimator are constantly running, and when running the sim2sim launch script they are duplicated. I tried restarting the ROS2 daemon, and they start up again automatically.

When trying to run the controller_manager unspawner on them I get

[INFO] [1756325141.036119204] [unspawner_standby_controller]: waiting for service /controller_manager/switch_controller to become available...

Running ros2 control switch_controllers hangs while waiting for service /controller_manager/switch_controller. ros2 control list_controllers hangs as well.

I'm running everything inside a Docker container. Could that be causing this?

[qiayuanl]

Does the MuJoCo simulator show up when the waiting message keeps printing?

[qiayuanl]

Accidentally closed this issue. Reopen...

[jaraujo98]

I did have a MUJOCO_LOG.txt file saying "ERROR: could not initialize GLFW". So I tried the following (source)

apt-get install xvfb
export DISPLAY=:99 
Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x16 &
ros2 launch motion_tracking_controller mujoco.launch.py policy_path:=...

and it worked! So I suppose that MuJoCo needs a screen in order to be able to run. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[Ericcsr]

I encountered the same issue but my mujoco was running, The robot just collapsed as controller is not activated

[Kashu7100]

@jaraujo98 Would you be kind to share your Dockerfile?
I am encountering something similar to #13 using my Docker... (Mujoco GUI shows up but the robot collapse immediately)
This is my log:

# ros2 launch motion_tracking_controller mujoco.launch.py policy_path:=/users/2025-08-22_12-35-01_dance2_subject2.onnx
[INFO] [launch]: All log files can be found below /root/.ros/log/2025-09-08-04-17-29-910446-uranus-28
[INFO] [launch]: Default logging verbosity is set to INFO
[launch] Temp controllers.yaml written to /tmp/motion_tracking_controller/temp_controllers.yaml
[INFO] [spawner-1]: process started with pid [31]
[INFO] [spawner-2]: process started with pid [33]
[INFO] [mujoco_sim-3]: process started with pid [35]
[INFO] [robot_state_publisher-4]: process started with pid [37]
[INFO] [joy_linux_node-5]: process started with pid [39]
[INFO] [joy_teleop-6]: process started with pid [41]
[joy_linux_node-5] [ERROR] [1757305050.231501525] [joy_node]: Couldn't open joystick /dev/input/js0. Will retry every second.
[mujoco_sim-3] MuJoCo version 3.3.0
[mujoco_sim-3] ========================================
[mujoco_sim-3] Loaded ROS parameters:
[mujoco_sim-3] model package: unitree_description
[mujoco_sim-3] model file: /opt/ros/humble/share/unitree_description//mjcf/g1.xml
[mujoco_sim-3] physics plugins: 
[mujoco_sim-3]   - mujoco_ros2_control::MujocoRos2ControlPlugin
[mujoco_sim-3] ========================================
[robot_state_publisher-4] [WARN] [1757305050.234748928] [kdl_parser]: The root link pelvis has an inertia specified in the URDF, but KDL does not support a root link with an inertia.  As a workaround, you can add an extra dummy link to your URDF.
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234853324] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment LL_FOOT
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234890925] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment LR_FOOT
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234894762] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment camera_bottom_screw_frame
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234897698] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment camera_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234900603] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment head_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234903719] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment imu_in_pelvis
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234906965] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment imu_in_torso
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234909490] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_ankle_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234911824] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_ankle_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234914239] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_elbow_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234916122] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_hip_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234918166] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_hip_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234919980] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_hip_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234921743] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_knee_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234923636] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_rubber_hand
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234925450] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_shoulder_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234927454] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_shoulder_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234930079] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_shoulder_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234932754] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_wrist_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234934537] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_wrist_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234936310] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment left_wrist_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234938344] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment logo_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234940198] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment mid360_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234942011] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment pelvis
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234943794] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment pelvis_contour_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234945608] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_ankle_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234947431] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_ankle_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234949094] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_elbow_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234950898] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_hip_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234952861] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_hip_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234954645] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_hip_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234956288] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_knee_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234958061] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_rubber_hand
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234959835] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_shoulder_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234961518] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_shoulder_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234963201] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_shoulder_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234964854] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_wrist_pitch_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234966878] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_wrist_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234968641] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment right_wrist_yaw_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234970444] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment torso_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234972438] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment waist_roll_link
[robot_state_publisher-4] [INFO] [1757305050.234974713] [robot_state_publisher]: got segment waist_yaw_link
[mujoco_sim-3] libGL error: glx: failed to create dri3 screen
[mujoco_sim-3] libGL error: failed to load driver: nouveau
[spawner-2] [INFO] [1757305050.402384344] [spawner_standby_controller]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...
[spawner-1] [INFO] [1757305050.402800417] [spawner_state_estimator]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...
[spawner-1] [WARN] [1757305060.416216894] [spawner_state_estimator]: Could not contact service /controller_manager/list_controllers
[spawner-1] [INFO] [1757305060.416456265] [spawner_state_estimator]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...
[spawner-2] [WARN] [1757305060.416536947] [spawner_standby_controller]: Could not contact service /controller_manager/list_controllers
[spawner-2] [INFO] [1757305060.416722346] [spawner_standby_controller]: waiting for service /controller_manager/list_controllers to become available...
[spawner-1] [WARN] [1757305070.431262462] [spawner_state_estimator]: Could not contact service /controller_manager/list_controllers

[Kashu7100]

More context:

My Dockerfile

FROM osrf/ros:humble-desktop

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

RUN echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://github.com/qiayuanl/unitree_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/ ./" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qiayuanl_unitree_buildfarm.list
RUN echo "yaml https://github.com/qiayuanl/unitree_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/local.yaml humble" | sudo tee /etc/ros/rosdep/sources.list.d/1-qiayuanl_unitree_buildfarm.list

RUN echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://github.com/qiayuanl/legged_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/ ./" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qiayuanl_legged_buildfarm.list
RUN echo "yaml https://github.com/qiayuanl/legged_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/local.yaml humble" | sudo tee /etc/ros/rosdep/sources.list.d/1-qiayuanl_legged_buildfarm.list

RUN echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://github.com/qiayuanl/simulation_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/ ./" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qiayuanl_simulation_buildfarm.list
RUN echo "yaml https://github.com/qiayuanl/simulation_buildfarm/raw/jammy-humble-amd64/local.yaml humble" | sudo tee /etc/ros/rosdep/sources.list.d/1-qiayuanl_simulation_buildfarm.list

# Base dependencies and ROS tooling
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
    git curl wget unzip ca-certificates \
    build-essential cmake ninja-build pkg-config \
    python3-pip python3-vcstool python3-colcon-common-extensions python3-rosdep \
    python3-numpy \
    ros-humble-ros2-control ros-humble-ros2-controllers \
    ros-humble-xacro ros-humble-realtime-tools \
    libeigen3-dev libyaml-cpp-dev \
    # Graphics & Mujoco runtime/build deps
    libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libegl1 libgles2 \
    libglfw3 libglfw3-dev \
    libglew2.2 libglew-dev \
    libx11-6 libxrandr2 libxinerama1 libxcursor1 libxi6 libxxf86vm1 libxkbcommon0 libxkbcommon-x11-0 \
    libvulkan1
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
    ros-humble-unitree-description \
    ros-humble-unitree-systems \
    ros-humble-legged-control-base \
    ros-humble-realsense2-description

# Install Mujoco (official binary) and set env
ARG MUJOCO_VERSION=3.3.0
RUN git clone -b 3.3.0 https://github.com/google-deepmind/mujoco.git /tmp/mujoco
WORKDIR /tmp/mujoco
RUN mkdir build && cd build && \
    cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/mujoco && \
    cmake --build . && \
    cmake --install .
ENV MUJOCO_DIR=/opt/mujoco
ENV LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$MUJOCO_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
ENV PATH=$MUJOCO_DIR/bin:$PATH
# Ensure CMake can find MuJoCo
ENV CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$MUJOCO_DIR:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
ENV QT_X11_NO_MITSHM=1

# Create colcon workspace and clone packages
WORKDIR /ws
RUN mkdir -p src && \
    git clone https://github.com/moveit/mujoco_ros2_control.git src/mujoco_ros2_control && \
    git clone https://github.com/rxdu/mujoco_sim_ros2.git src/mujoco_sim_ros2 && \
    git clone https://github.com/qiayuanl/unitree_bringup.git && \
    git clone https://github.com/HybridRobotics/motion_tracking_controller.git
    
# Resolve and install dependencies via rosdep
RUN rosdep init 2>/dev/null || true && \
    rosdep update && \
    apt-get update && rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y

# Build the workspace
SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
RUN source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash && \
    colcon build --symlink-install

# Convenience sourcing for interactive sessions
RUN echo 'source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash' >> /root/.bashrc && \
    echo 'source /ws/install/setup.bash' >> /root/.bashrc && \
    echo 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$MUJOCO_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH' >> /root/.bashrc && \
    echo 'export PATH=$MUJOCO_DIR/bin:$PATH' >> /root/.bashrc

RUN pip install wandb

RUN apt-get install -y xvfb

ENV DISPLAY=:99

ENTRYPOINT []
CMD Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x16 & exec bash

I run with:

xhost +local:root
docker run --rm -it --network=host   -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY   -e QT_X11_NO_MITSHM=1   -e ROS_DOMAIN_ID=0   -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix:rw   --device /dev/dri -v /dev/input:/dev/input:rw -v $PWD:/users kashu98/motion-ros2-humble

[jaraujo98]

@Kashu7100 I didn't write a Docker file... I just started a container running Ubuntu 22.04 and followed all the installation steps (especially these ones). But just from looking at your Dockerfile I already see a problem. The mujoco_ros2_control and mujoco_sim_ros2 packages used in this project are custom forks made by @qiayuanl. You should install them with apt (you already added the source repositories so apt will find it) instead of cloning the source repos and building with colcon.

PS: I managed to build and install mujoco_sim_ros2 from qiayuanl's fork, which is nice for getting extra control over the simulator, but I couldn't do the same with mujoco_ros2_control...

[Kashu7100]

@jaraujo98 Thanks for your quick response and pointing out the potential error. I will get back to here once I figured out!

[Kashu7100]

@jaraujo98 Thanks worked!

[WeisonWEileen]

@jaraujo98 Thanks worked!

could you please provide your final version dockerfile? it will help me a lot! thanks! @Kashu7100