Intro to Robot Operating System (ROS2) for Linux Users

A practical intro to the tools behind modern robotics and how we use them at Rose City Robotics.

Instructor

Duncan Miller

Director of Learning and Impact

Free

Get notified when this course launches

About the Course

If you’ve ever SSH’d into a server, debugged a Python script, or managed packages on Ubuntu, you’re already halfway to robotics.

This free course is a fast, practical overview of ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2), the open-source framework behind everything from warehouse automation to autonomous vehicles. Designed specifically for Linux users, it shows how your command-line skills and dev workflows directly map to the tools robotics software engineers use every day.

You won’t be building robots or writing code here. Instead, you’ll gain the context and clarity to understand how ROS2 works, why it matters, and where your existing skills already apply. Then we'll show you what online resources are available to dig deeper.

What You’ll Learn:

  • What ROS2 is and why it’s the backbone of modern robotics

  • Key components: nodes, topics, transforms, services, launch files

  • How common tools (Bash, Git, Python, Unix) show up in ROS2 workflows

  • What real ROS2 projects look like (with links to our open-source repos)

  • How we use ROS2 in Rose City Robotics programs — and how you can, too

What’s Included:

  • 1-hour recorded lecture

  • Annotated links to official ROS2 docs, tutorials, and GitHub projects

  • Insight into ROS2-based hardware and simulation stacks used at RCR

  • Links to free resources to continue your robotics journey

Who This Is For:

  • Linux users curious about robotics and autonomy

  • Engineers exploring a transition into AI, automation, or embedded systems

  • Prospective students prepping for more advanced ROS2 courses

Instructor

  • Duncan Miller

    Director of Learning and Impact

    Duncan is a software engineer and FIRST Robotics coach with over 20 years of experience as an education technology founder. He earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College and works at Portland State University as a mentor for tech startups and a judge at innovation competitions.

    + read more

Subscribe to our newsletter

The latest educational robotics news and articles, sent to your inbox weekly.