First version of 18.04 upgrade documentation

source/computer.rst

@@ -48,12 +48,13 @@ same subnet.
 ====================== =============
 Device                 IP Address
 ====================== =============
+Computer eth1          10.42.42.1
 Laser range finder     10.42.42.10
 Mainboard              10.42.42.42
 Gripper                10.42.42.43
 ====================== =============
 
-There are two possible interfaces for connecting to the robot
+There are two possible interfaces for external connecting to the robot
 computer: the wireless interface and the wired interface. Most users
 will prefer to use the wireless interface, however the access panel
 also includes a Gigabit Ethernet interface for stationary tasks that
@@ -64,10 +65,45 @@ require higher bandwidth.
     Never drive the robot with an Ethernet cable attached to the access panel.
 
 Connecting the Robot to a Wireless Network
-------------------------------------------
-
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The easiest way to configure the wireless networking is to connect a monitor,
-keyboard, and mouse and use the Network Manager interface.
+keyboard, and mouse and use Ubuntu's Network Manager interface.
+
+Configuring the Robot to use a Static IP for Access Panel Ethernet
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+For 14.04: Edit and uncomment the section for eth0 in ``/etc/network/interfaces``
+
+For 18.04: Edit and uncomment the section for eth0 in ``/etc/netplan/99-fetch``
+
+After making changes, restarting the robot will ensure changes for the ethernet
+port take effect.
+
+Troubleshooting ROS Interactions with Robot Across a Network
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+External networking with the robot is typically done to provide
+an interface to various ROS capabilities. To ensure a working network setup
+between robot and PC, reference the following guide to the ROS_MASTER_URI
+and ROS_HOSTNAME environment variables. A key recommendation is to use hostnames
+instead of IP addresses for ROS_MASTER_URI and ROS_HOSTNAME. This will minimize
+issues with e.g. DHCP not being present or unexpectedly changing network behavior.
+
+.. figure:: _static/fetch_ros_ntwk.png
+   :width: 100%
+   :align: center
+   :figclass: align-centered
+
+Note that the ROS_HOSTNAME is unneeded in the case where the robot and
+computer hostnames are addressable on the local network. (E.g. via DNS
+or entries in the file ``/etc/hosts``)
+
+A symptom of an incomplete setup may be that some ROS commands work, while others
+do not. Commands (such as ``rostopic list``, ``rosservice list``) retrieve
+information through the connection they create,
+while other commands (``rostopic echo``, many components in ``rviz``) attempt
+to tell the robot a location to send info to via future connections.
+
+For a more in-depth general overview of robot-to-PC networking, see also the
+`ROS Network Setup Tutorial <http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/NetworkSetup>`_.
 
 Clock Synchronization
 ---------------------

source/index.rst

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Fetch & Freight Manual
    robot_hardware
    computer
    care_and_feeding
+   indigo_to_melodic
 
 Tutorials
 ---------

source/indigo_to_melodic.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+ROS Melodic + Ubuntu 18.04
+==========================
+
+Fetch Robotics has recently started supporting ROS Melodic and Ubuntu 18.04 on
+Fetch and Freight robots.  Other than the process of upgrading a robot, there
+should be minimal effect on using your robot.  If you observe an issue, please
+let us know via a support ticket.
+
+Upgrading Your Robot to ROS Melodic + Ubuntu 18.04
+--------------------------------------------------
+.. WARNING::
+   Read this document in full to ensure you understand the procedures.  It is
+   not straightforward to go back to ROS Indigo/Ubuntu 14.04 after doing this.
+   Ensure your colleagues are on board with doing this upgrade.
+
+This document is a procedure for replacing the contents of your robot's SSD
+with an Ubuntu 18.04 install and ROS Melodic.
+
+Before Upgrade
+++++++++++++++
+
+Back up files from the robot!  There are a few categories of files to back up:
+
+#. Calibration and other robot-specific files. By convention, these are
+   all in ``/etc/ros/[indigo|melodic]/``
+#. Files relating to your research work
+#. A record of what packages you installed for ROS Indigo
+#. Udev rules created for additional hardware (e.g. sensors) added to your robot
+#. Network hardware configuration (for troubleshooting)
+
+Below, we assume that after logging into the robot (e.g. via `ssh`) you back up
+files to a machine named HOST with username USER.
+
+For (1), we recommend doing::
+
+  tar -zcf fetch_robot_files.tar.gz /etc/ros/indigo/
+  scp fetch_robot_files.tar.gz USER@HOST:~/
+
+For (2), this may include workspaces, logs, and training data.
+
+For (3), you can easily record the list of packages you installed via::
+
+  dpkg -l | grep ros-indigo > installed_indigo_packages.txt
+
+As well, you might want to record what repositories are part of your workspaces.
+
+For (4), such files are likely located in ``/etc/udev/rules.d/``, and should be saved.
+
+For (5), this file may be useful for reference if the install process doesn't
+automatically set up networking on your robot correctly::
+
+  scp /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules USER@HOST:~/$(hostname)_udev_net_rules
+
+If you are using any additional hardware (sensors), be sure to record what network
+or other hardware configuration changes were made to get them working.
+
+
+18.04 Install and Installing ROS/Fetch Packages
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+
+.. IMPORTANT::
+   Back up your files as described in the previous section
+
+#. **Runstop the robot**, to avoid unexpected movement of the robot.
+#. **Install Ubuntu 18.04 on the robot.** Download the latest 18.04 Ubuntu installer from http://releases.ubuntu.com/18.04/
+   (in these instructions we use the Desktop image, version 18.04.2).
+   For help booting from USB, see `Accessing Boot Menu on Fetch Robots`_.
+
+  #. We recommend keeping the same hostname for the robot, e.g. `fetch4`
+  #. You can create the `fetch` user, or let it be automatically created later.
+     (The typical password for the `fetch` user is 'robotics'.)
+
+  - After install, you may need to unblock `apt`. Do this by clicking the App Store
+    icon on the sidebar, which should trigger an update prompt you can close: |AppStore|
+  - You'll probably want to install a few convenience packages such as openssh-server
+    to enable SSH into your robot: ``sudo apt install openssh-server net-tools``.
+    You might also want to install your favorite commandline text editor.
+
+#. **Update your Ubuntu install:** ``sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade -y``
+#. **Install ROS Melodic** by following the instructions `on the ROS Wiki <http://wiki.ros.org/melodic/Installation/Ubuntu>`_.
+   You will want to do steps 1.1 through 1.6. In writing/testing these instructions, we assume:
+  - You use the **ROS-Base** setup, via the ``ros-melodic-ros-base`` package.
+  - You're using bash, so step 1.6 for the fetch user is::
+
+        echo "source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
+        source ~/.bashrc
+
+    You can also make this apply for all new users: ``sudo su -c 'echo "source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash" >> /etc/bash.bashrc'``
+
+#. **NOTE**: at a later time, Fetch may host and recommend its own mirror of ROS Melodic debians.
+#. Run the following to **install Fetch research debians**:
+
+   - General packages for Fetch robots::
+
+       sudo apt install ros-melodic-fetch-calibration ros-melodic-fetch-open-auto-dock \
+       ros-melodic-fetch-navigation ros-melodic-fetch-tools -y
+
+   - Then install packages specific to the robot type::
+
+       export ROBOTTYPE=$(hostname | awk -F'[0-9]' '{print $1}')
+       # sudo apt install $ROBOTTYPE-melodic-config  # pending future availability
+       wget https://packages.fetchrobotics.com/binaries/$ROBOTTYPE-melodic-config.deb
+       sudo apt install ./$ROBOTTYPE-melodic-config.deb -y
+
+#. **Power cycle the robot**::
+
+        sudo /sbin/reboot
+
+.. |AppStore| image:: _static/app_store.jpg
+
+Post-install Validation
++++++++++++++++++++++++
+This is a direct continuation of the previous section's procedure. It is assumed
+that your robot is still runstopped.
+
+Verify that things are working.  All of the following steps assume that you are
+``ssh``'d into the robot::
+
+        ssh fetch@fetchXXXX
+
+#. Verify that calibration is installed, e.g. a date should be output if you run the command below::
+
+        fetch@fetch3:~$ calibrate_robot --date
+        2018-11-26 14:48:04
+
+#. Verify that the robot can ping the mainboard and the laser::
+
+        ping 10.42.42.42  # mainboard
+        ping 10.42.42.10  # laser
+
+   If not, see `Ensuring robot's ethernet ports are configured correctly`_
+
+#. Verify that the Primesense camera is working (if working with a Fetch robot)::
+
+       rostopic list head_camera | wc -l
+
+   This should output 32, if everything is working fine.
+
+#. At this point, release the robot's runstop button.
+
+#. The gripper should now have power, so we should be able to ping it::
+
+       ping 10.42.42.44  # gripper
+
+#. The arm's "gravity compensation" should now be working. You should be able to
+   freely move the arm by hand.
+
+#. Check whether your PS3 controller pairs and controls the robot.
+
+   **Important note**: for 18.04 the robots have switched from using sixad to using
+   PS3joy.  Some changes in behaviour you may see:
+
+   - The LEDs on the PS3 controller may continually blink, even though it is connected.
+   - Inputs may not be sent from the PS3 controller if the accelerometers in the
+     controller do not detect motion. This can result in jerky motion when using
+     the controller.
+
+   We are hoping to determine fixes for these in the near future.
+
+#. At this point the robot is probably working fine and is ready for use! (Unless you
+   additional customizations to restore; see next step)
+
+#. If applicable, from your non-robot computer, restore the contents of
+   ``/etc/ros/indigo`` to ``/etc/ros/melodic`` on the robot::
+
+        scp fetch_robot_files.tar.gz fetch@fetchXXX:~/
+        ssh fetch@fetchXXX
+        sudo mkdir -p /etc/ros/melodic
+        tar -xzf ~/fetch_robot_files.tar.gz /etc/ros/melodic/
+
+   As well, you can restore any other saved files to the robot.
+
+   This is the point at which some things may not work fully, e.g. if packages
+   used in ROS Indigo need updates/replacements for ROS Melodic.
+
+
+Compatibility of Other Computers Used with the Robot
+----------------------------------------------------
+
+For working with a robot running ROS Melodic, we recommend using an 18.04 Ubuntu
+machine that also has ROS Melodic installed.
+
+- In order for the robot to appear correctly in RViz, you will want to:
+
+  - Ensure your computer is pointed at the packages.ros apt sources
+  - Install ``ros-melodic-fetch-description`` and ``ros-melodic-freight-description``
+    packages.  Addtionally you might want to install
+    `ros-melodic-fetch-tools <https://github.com/fetchrobotics/fetch_tools>`_.
+  - Ensure that these packages are included in your path (e.g.
+    ``rospack find fetch_description`` returns a path)
+  - Common gotcha on a new setup: If the robot model doesn't appear at first, you
+    may want to change the "Fixed frame" from e.g. 'map' to 'odom'.
+
+Not Recommended/Supported: Upgrading from 14.04 to 18.04 (via 16.04)
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fetch Robotics does not recommend this approach and *cannot* provide support for this.
+However, if you desire to try to upgrade, the following may be helpful:
+
+- Back up files as described above, or even the full disk if you like.
+- You cannot upgrade Ubuntu directly from 14.04 to 18.04. You must first
+  upgrade to 16.04 first. This can take a long time.
+- You should review the postinstall script for ``fetch-melodic-config``. It is not
+  targeted at upgrading a system, so additional tweaks may be required after
+  installing it.
+
+
+Appendices
+----------
+
+Disk filling issue
+++++++++++++++++++
+Some robots may encounter an issue where Gnome3 fills the disk by spamming /var/log/syslog.
+This issue has a fix that is not available via `apt` yet, but can be manually done:
+https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1772677/comments/63
+
+Ensuring robot's ethernet ports are configured correctly
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+
+The robot has two ethernet ports on its computer. You can find more information on this
+at `Computer Overview and Configuration <computer.rst>`_.
+
+The most likely problem you may encounter after getting 18.04 installed is if these two
+ports are "swapped".  This will cause the robot computer to be unable to talk to the
+rest of its hardware. You can fix this in software or in hardware:
+
+- Software: Edit ``/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules`` and swap ``eth0``
+  and ``eth1``. Restart the robot for the change to take effect.
+- OR: Hardware: swap the two ethernet cables where they plug into the computer.
+  This shouldn't be needed, but in case you do, you should expect to find
+  a gray cable (internal communications) and a blue cable (external).
+  Typically, the blue goes to the top ethernet port, and the grey goes to the bottom.
+
+Another issue you may encounter with 18.04 is if you are using the ethernet on the
+side access panel with a DHCP setup. In some setups, the ethernet port may fail to
+be assigned an IP automatically. We recommend consulting IT for help with this, if
+needed.
+
+Accessing Boot Menu on Fetch Robots
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+You may need to access the boot menu in order to boot from a USB flash
+drive and install Ubuntu 18.04.  Due to different computer motherboards used in the
+past, Fetch research robots may be using one of two BIOS flavors.  Older robots
+use an MSI branded BIOS.  Newer robots use American Megatrends Inc. (AMI).
+
+These different BIOS types activate the boot media selection menu with different keys:
+- If your robot shows the MSI splash screen at boot, press F11 to access the boot menu.
+- If your robot shows the black AMI splash screen at boot (this lasts for about 1 second),
+  press F7 to access the boot menu.
+
+If you fail to get into the boot menu, you can restart the computer and try again.