Lesson 1.4 — Installing ROS 2

What you'll learn

• Which Ubuntu version pairs with which ROS 2 release

• How to install ROS 2 on Ubuntu, WSL, Docker, a VM, macOS, or Windows

Pick the right pair

ROS 2 releases ("distros") are tied to specific Ubuntu versions. For a beginner in 2026, Humble (Ubuntu 22.04) is the most tutorial-friendly and battle-tested choice — this whole course uses Humble.

ROS 2 DistributionStatusUbuntu VersionSupport End (EOL)Jazzy (Jalisco)Current LTSUbuntu 24.042029Humble (Hawksbill)Recommended for this courseUbuntu 22.042027Iron (Irwini)Short-termUbuntu 22.042024Rolling (Ridley)Rolling devUbuntu 24.04 / 26.04N/A

Option 1 — Native Ubuntu 22.04

Download and install Ubuntu 22.04, then follow the official Debian-package install:

• Ubuntu 22.04 ISO: https://releases.ubuntu.com/22.04/

• Official ROS 2 Humble install guide: https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Installation/Ubuntu-Install-Debs.html

Option 2 — Windows users: WSL (easiest)

If you're on Windows, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is the smoothest path:

wsl --install Ubuntu-22.04

Then open the Ubuntu terminal and follow the same Debian-package install guide above.

Option 3 — Docker (no Ubuntu install needed)

A minimal containerized ROS 2 desktop you can reach from your browser:

docker run -d -p 6080:80 --security-opt seccomp=unconfined --shm-size=512m ghcr.io/tiryoh/ros2-desktop-vnc:humble

Then open http://localhost:6080 in your browser.

Option 4 — Virtual machine

Install Ubuntu 22.04 inside VirtualBox using the same ISO link as Option 1, then install ROS 2 normally.

Other operating systems

• macOS: https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Installation/Alternatives/macOS-Development-Setup.html

• Windows (native): https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Installation/Alternatives/Windows-Development-Setup.html

Tip: If you're virtualized or in Docker, install VS Code inside the Linux environment for a comfortable editor.

Recap

• Humble + Ubuntu 22.04 is the recommended beginner combo.

• WSL is the easiest path on Windows; Docker needs no Ubuntu install at all.