The purpose of this repository is to house all software associated with development environments, containers, computer vision, autonomy, and more pertaining to the AEAC 2026 competition developed by Queen's Aerospace Design Team (QADT).
The below sections cover onboarding setups required to setup the QADT AEAC 2026 development environment for WSL, dual boot Ubuntu Linux, and MacOS.
You may refer to the resources in this section as you complete your onboarding.
Learn some of the basics of Linux and navigating the terminal, Docker, and Git. Prioritize learning about Linux and complete the first few onboarding tasks until you reach the docker section. Review docker, and optionally you may begin learning git. Learning the basics of git will be necessary for future contributions to QADT Software.
- Linux Fundamentals video. Click on the link in the description to go to the website seen in the video.
- You may optionally learn a bit about Docker since you'll be using it in the following sections.
- Learn fundamentals of git version control with this W3schools tutorial.
This step is REQUIRED for all operating systems.
Install VSCode for your operating system from this link for Windows and MacOS. Linux VSCode is covered in its instructions below. We will be using the Dev Containers VSCode extension to download Docker images and open development containers inside VSCode.
If you don’t already have a GitHub account:
- Go to https://github.com/signup
- Follow the steps to create an account (I recommend that you create it under a personal email)
- Verify your email address when prompted
Once your account is created, sign in and keep the page open — you’ll need it shortly when setting up SSH access and cloning repositories.
Launch VSCode and install the following extensions (you can search for them in the Extensions tab on the left sidebar):
- Dev Containers – allows you to open and work inside Docker-based development environments
- Docker – helps visualize and manage containers
- WSL – (Windows only) lets VSCode connect to your WSL Ubuntu environment
You can install them all at once by running this command in a terminal:
code --install-extension ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers
code --install-extension ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl
code --install-extension ms-azuretools.vscode-dockerThis project is developed and built inside Docker containers running on WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux). We will use Ubuntu (latest) as the default WSL distribution to keep the setup consistent across all contributors.
In this guide, WSL2 and WSL are used interchangeably; however, they both mean the same thing.
The development workflow is:
- Run Docker alongside WSL2 (via Docker Desktop).
- Build and run code inside of the development containers using VSCode.
- Use Git inside WSL2 for source control.
For reference, here's Microsoft’s official guide: Install WSL.
To install WSL, open any terminal in windows and enter the following:
wsl --installTIME TO REBOOT! Changes will not be made until the system is rebooted.
Then, confirm that you have wsl installed by entering the following:
wsl --version
wsl --list --verboseMake sure Ubuntu is installed and set as the default distribution:
wsl --set-default UbuntuConfirm this by entering wsl --status and you should see the following:
$ wsl --status
------------------------------
Default Distribution: Ubuntu
Default Version: 2To run WSL, press the windows key and search WSL or Ubuntu and launch the executable. Then run the following command:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yIt will ask you to create a username - I always do abotticchio or [firstInitial+lastname]. It will also prompt you to create a password - keep this light and short! Keep in mind, when typing in your password in a terminal, your characters won't show on screen but will still be valid (this is a canon experience for first time linux users).
You want git available in your Ubuntu shell so you can clone our AEAC2026 repo. Enter the following in WSL:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install git -yVerify by entering the following:
git --version # You should see output from this commandNow that Git is installed, let’s create an SSH key so you can securely authenticate with GitHub without typing your password every time.
First, generate a new SSH key pair:
ssh-keygenWhen prompted to "Enter a file in which to save the key", just press Enter (3 times) to accept the default path:
~/.ssh/id_ed25519Now, let’s copy your public key so you can add it to GitHub. Run:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pubThis will print a line starting with ssh-ed25519. Copy that entire line.
Then:
- Go to Go to your GitHub profile → Settings → SSH and GPG Keys → New SSH Key
- Give it a recognizable title (e.g. “WSL Laptop”)
- Paste your key into the Key field
- Click Add SSH key
Finally, test your connection to GitHub:
ssh -T git@github.comYou should see:
Hi [username]! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.If you see this, then you're good to go!
Inside WSL, make a git directory in your home (~) directory. This is where we will clone AEAC2026 and other git repositories into. First navigate to your home directory with cd or cd ~ (using cd allows you to navigate directories, i.e cd ~), and make a git directory using mkdir git (using mkdir allows you to make directories, i.e mkdir git).
Then navigate into your git directory (cd ~/git) and clone the repo using SSH with git clone <ssh_url>. Your commands should look like this bellow:
cd ~
mkdir git
cd git
git clone git@github.com:Queen-s-Aerospace-Design-Team/AEAC2026.gitEnter Yes if you are cloning with SSH for the first time (i.e. just after making an SSH key).
Download and install Docker Desktop for Windows. Docker desktop is a windows/mac application that will automatically detect running WSL instances and you'll be able to access docker commands within WSL without needing to install it explicitly.
During setup:
- Enable WSL2 backend.
- Integrate Docker Desktop with your Ubuntu WSL2 distribution.
After installation ensure that docker desktop is running on Windows. Then open a terminal in WSL and confirm Docker works:
docker --versionIf this doesn't work, try restarting your environment by first quitting docker desktop, restarting WSL (press Cntrl + D in the WSL terminal to exit it), and try again.
Now that Docker, VSCode, and Git are installed. We can now start pulling the docker container using the VSCode Dev Containers extension. We do this by opening the AEAC2026 repo in VSCode.
Personally, I like to do this using the terminal:
cd ~/git/AEAC2026
code . # 'code' means VSCode, and we supply '.' as the current directory
# for the location we want to open VSCode intoWe have a folder in the AEAC2026 repo called .devcontainer. This folder holds all the information required to create our development environment. Including the docker image (which is stored as a package on our GitHub organization), environment variables (defined in the compose.yml files), and other VSCode specific settings defined in the .devcontainer/devcontainer.json configuration file.
When opening VSCode, you should see a prompt asking to Reopen in Container, select yes. If you do not, you can trigger the same action by opening VSCode's command palette with Cntrl/Command + Shift + P and typing >Dev Containers: Rebuild and Reopen in Container then selecting that option.
After accepting the prompt the docker image will begin downloading. The entire process of opening the container should take 10
- Pressing
Cntrl + Din a WSL terminal will force a shutdown of WSL. - Run
wsl --shutdownin a Windows terminal and reopen Ubuntu.' - Restart Docker by ending the process in the tray of your taskbar.
This project is developed and built inside Docker containers running on Linux with the help of VSCode's dev containers extension. Currently, the only linux distro this setup has been verified and tested on is Ubuntu.
For installing Linux-Ubuntu, you are recommended to use 22.04 for default x11 rendering support (this is due to our container running Ubuntu 22.04 in which GUI apps mainly support x11, not wayland - namely Gazebo). I recommend choosing a minimal installation of Ubuntu when first installing from USB media and storage space of at least 96GB. If installing alongside windows (i.e. Dual Boot), make sure to select Install alongside Windows Boot Manager - it the easiest this way. As with all Linux setup, you will have to select a PC name, username, and password. For a PC, I prefer the form [firstName]-Ubuntu (anthony-Ubuntu), and for username I prefer [firstInitial][lastName] (abotticchio) and choose an easy to type password.
After successfully installing Ubuntu, on reboot, open your BIOS settings and set ubuntu to the top of the boot order (above windows). Don't worry too much about this as you'll be able to select windows when booting into ubuntu from the GRUB boot menu. Then save changes and exit (usually by pressing F10) and boot into Ubuntu.
There is no use of Docker Desktop on Linux machines. Instead, Docker recommends to use its own docker engine (no GUI).
Generally, its a good idea to run sudo apt upgrade after installing a new OS:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y # '-y' auto accepts all upgradesThe development workflow is:
- Open development container inside of VSCode.
- Build and run code inside of said development container
- Use Git on Linux for source control.
For Linux-Ubuntu, we’ll use its package manager apt, the package manager for Ubuntu distros, to install Git and other development tools.
To install Git, press the windows key and type in terminal into the search bar to open the terminal application. Enter the following:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install git -yFirst, generate a new SSH key pair:
ssh-keygenWhen prompted to "Enter a file in which to save the key", just press Enter (3 times) to accept the default path:
~/.ssh/id_ed25519Now, let’s copy your public key so you can add it to GitHub. Run:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pubThis will print a line starting with ssh-ed25519. Copy that entire line.
Then:
- Go to Go to your GitHub profile → Settings → SSH and GPG Keys → New SSH Key
- Give it a recognizable title (e.g. “Ubuntu Laptop”)
- Paste your key into the Key field
- Click Add SSH key
Finally, test your connection to GitHub:
ssh -T git@github.comYou should see:
Hi [username]! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.If you see this, then you're good to go!
First navigate to your home directory with cd or cd ~ (using cd allows you to navigate directories, i.e cd ~), and make a git directory using mkdir git (using mkdir allows you to make directories, i.e mkdir git).
Then navigate into your git directory (cd ~/git) and clone the repo using SSH with git clone <ssh_url>. Your commands should look like this bellow:
cd ~
mkdir git
cd git
git clone git@github.com:Queen-s-Aerospace-Design-Team/AEAC2026.gitIf you’re cloning via SSH for the first time, you’ll be asked to confirm the connection — type Yes when prompted.
Inside the AEAC2026 repo, navigate to the scripts directory and run the setupLinux.sh script. This will install all required software on Linux machines including Docker, VSCode and its necessary extensions, and QGroundControl.
cd ~/git/AEAC2026/scripts
./setupLinux.shNext, reboot your computer and open VSCode in the repo with:
cd ~/git/AEAC2026
code .This project is developed and built inside Docker containers running on MacOS with the help of VSCode's dev containers extension. We currently do not use an other VMs or containers other than what is developed in-house and used inside of VSCode's dev containers extension.
The development workflow is:
- Run Docker Desktop.
- Open development container inside of VSCode.
- Build and run code inside of said development container
- Use Git on MacOS for source control.
For macOS, we’ll use Homebrew, the package manager for Mac, to install Git and other development tools.
To install Homebrew, open your Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and hit Enter) and run the following command:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"Once installed, add Homebrew to your shell's PATH. For example:
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"You can verify Homebrew is installed correctly with:
brew --versionYou want git available in your MacOS terminal so you can clone our AEAC2026 repo. Now that Homebrew is installed, user it to install Git:
brew install gitVerify by entering the following:
git --version # You should see output from this commandNow that Git is installed, let’s create an SSH key so you can securely authenticate with GitHub without typing your password every time.
First, generate a new SSH key pair:
ssh-keygenWhen prompted to "Enter a file in which to save the key", just press Enter (3 times) to accept the default path:
~/.ssh/id_ed25519Now, let’s copy your public key so you can add it to GitHub. Run:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pubThis will print a line starting with ssh-ed25519. Copy that entire line.
Then:
- Go to Go to your GitHub profile → Settings → SSH and GPG Keys → New SSH Key
- Give it a recognizable title (e.g. “Mac Laptop”)
- Paste your key into the Key field
- Click Add SSH key
Finally, test your connection to GitHub:
ssh -T git@github.comYou should see:
Hi [username]! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.If you see this, then you're good to go!
Inside your home directory (~). This is where you'll keep the AEAC2026 repository and any others you clone in the future.
First navigate to your home directory with cd or cd ~ (using cd allows you to navigate directories, i.e cd ~), and make a git directory using mkdir git (using mkdir allows you to make directories, i.e mkdir git).
Then navigate into your git directory (cd ~/git) and clone the repo using SSH with git clone <ssh_url>. Your commands should look like this bellow:
cd ~
mkdir git
cd git
git clone git@github.com:Queen-s-Aerospace-Design-Team/AEAC2026.gitIf you’re cloning via SSH for the first time, you’ll be asked to confirm the connection — type Yes when prompted.
Download and install Docker Desktop for MacOS. Docker Desktop allows you to run containers locally and integrates directly with VSCode.
After installation:
- Make sure Docker Desktop is running (you should see the whale icon in your menu bar)
- Open a new terminal and verify Docker works with:
docker --versionIf Docker commands don’t work immediately, try quitting and reopening Docker Desktop or restarting your terminal.
Now that Docker, VSCode, and Git are installed. We can now start pulling the docker container using the VSCode Dev Containers extension. We do this by opening the AEAC2026 repo in VSCode.
Personally, I like to do this using the terminal:
cd ~/git/AEAC2026
code . # 'code' means VSCode, and we supply '.' as the current directory
# for the location we want to open VSCode intoWe have a folder in the AEAC2026 repo called .devcontainer. This folder holds all the information required to create our development environment. Including the docker image (which is stored as a package on our GitHub organization), environment variables (defined in the compose.yml files), and other VSCode specific settings defined in the .devcontainer/devcontainer.json configuration file.
When opening VSCode, you should see a prompt asking to Reopen in Container, select yes. If you do not, you can trigger the same action by opening VSCode's command palette with Cntrl/Command + Shift + P and typing >Dev Containers: Rebuild and Reopen in Container then selecting that option.
After accepting the prompt the docker image will begin downloading. The entire process of opening the container should take 10
After the container is open. RESTART YOUR COMPUTER to configure XQuartz (an application I installed onto your computer as part of the initialize.sh script). After this, it should be good to go..
- If Docker isn’t responding, quit and restart Docker Desktop.
-
Max Dizy
$-$ AEAC Co-Captain -
Kalena McCloskey
$-$ Software Director -
Ethan Milburn
$-$ Software Research (ICUAS) Manager -
Matthew Lones
$-$ Computer Vision Manager -
Anthony Botticchio
$-$ Autonomy Manager