Can I use "catkin build" instead of "catkin_make", and how can I fix this error?

[ketaro-m]

I use Ubuntu 18.04.5 and ROS melodic 1.14.9

The installation instructs us to use "catkin_make" but I got the same issue as #1397. So I tried to use "catkin build" instead. I ran the following commands

mkdir -p (my_working_directory)/catkin_ws/src  
cd (my_working_directory)//catkin_ws/src/
git clone https://github.com/IntelRealSense/realsense-ros.git
cd realsense-ros/
git checkout `git tag | sort -V | grep -P "^\d+\.\d+\.\d+" | tail -1`
cd ../../
catkin init
catkin clean
catkin config --cmake-args -DCATKIN_ENABLE_TESTING=False -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
catkin config --install

and then

catkin build

However, I got these warnings saying "unsupported package build type: 'ament_cmake'" and building the packages such as "realsense2_camera" were skipped.

How can I fix this error and build these packages?

[doronhi]

I'll have to fix the installation instructions. When checking out the last released version you have got the eloquent version. You need to checkout the last ROS1 version. Use the following checkout command instead of the existing one:

git checkout `git tag | sort -V | grep -P "^2.\d+\.\d+" | tail -1`

You should get version 2.2.17.
Let us know how it goes with the catkin build command.

[ketaro-m]

Thank you for your reply! I think catkin build command successfully goes and 'catkin_tools_prebuild', 'realsense2_camera', and 'realsense2_description' are build.

However, when I tried to start the camera node typing

source devel/setup.bash
roslaunch realsense2_camera rs_camera.launch

it fails with the following errors.

RLException: [rs_camera.launch] is neither a launch file in package [realsense2_camera] nor is [realsense2_camera] a launch file name
The traceback for the exception was written to the log file

I also tried the following command instead

roslaunch src/realsense-ros/realsense2_camera/launch/rs_camera.launch

but got these errors.

Resource not found: realsense2_camera
ROS path [0]=/opt/ros/melodic/share/ros
ROS path [1]=/opt/ros/melodic/share
The traceback for the exception was written to the log file

I couldn't find realsense2_camera by tap completion after roslaunch. Is this a problem with "devel/setup.bash"?

[doronhi]

I don't know the answer. First thing I'd do is try from a different terminal.
Then, there may be differences in the installation process between catkin build and catkin_make which was tested with this version. If you cannot use catkin_make I would like to know the reason and maybe we'll get convinced that instructions and modification should be made in order to make catkin build an option.

[ketaro-m]

I already have ~/catkin_ws which was build with catkin build so I cannot use catkin_make.
Plus, I tried to rename it temporary as ~/catkin_ws_tmp and create a new ~/catkin_ws for this and followed the instruction. But when I did

catkin_make clean

The following error occurred.

-- ~~ traversing 3 packages in topological order:
-- ~~ - realsense_camera_msgs (plain cmake)
-- ~~ - realsense2_camera (plain cmake)
-- ~~ - realsense2_node (plain cmake)
-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CMake Error at /opt/ros/melodic/share/catkin/cmake/catkin_workspace.cmake:100 (message):
This workspace contains non-catkin packages in it, and catkin cannot build
a non-homogeneous workspace without isolation. Try the
'catkin_make_isolated' command instead.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:69 (catkin_workspace)
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/home/mech-user/catkin_ws/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "/home/mech-user/catkin_ws/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".

I attach the contents of the log files just in case here

[ketaro-m]

Answering my previous error not finding realsense2_camera package after building with catkin build command, I could solve it if I skip catkin config --install.
Then the whole processes are as follows. RealSense node was successfully build up.

mkdir -p (my_working_directory)/catkin_ws/src  
cd (my_working_directory)//catkin_ws/src/
git clone https://github.com/IntelRealSense/realsense-ros.git
cd realsense-ros/
git checkout `git tag | sort -V | grep -P "^2.\d+\.\d+" | tail -1`
cd ../../
catkin init
catkin clean
catkin config --cmake-args -DCATKIN_ENABLE_TESTING=False -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
catkin build
source devel/setup.bash
roslaunch realsense2_camera rs_camera.launch

Anyway, if I insert catkin config --install just before catkin build, install folder was made. If I source install/setup.bash instead of devel/setup.bash in this case, roslaunch succeeded.
Which is better, and could you give me a clear explanation if possible?

[doronhi]

I'm not sure I'm the right person. That is a pure ROS question and I think you'll get much better answers from people in ros.org

[ketaro-m]

I'd do that.
But thank you anyway! I could install this package successfully!