Build ROS2 Apps on Windows Without the Toolchain
If you've ever tried compiling ROS2 on Windows, you know the pain:
- Install Visual Studio, Python, CMake
- Configure environment variables
- Fight with
rosdep,colcon, and missing dependencies - Give up and use WSL2 instead
After going through all of that, I compiled a complete ROS2 Humble SDK for Windows and open-sourced it. Now you can build ROS2 applications with standard CMake — no ROS2 toolchain required.
Ros2Simple — Pre-built ROS2 Humble Windows SDK
GitHub: https://github.com/huming516520/Ros2Simple
A pre-compiled ROS2 Humble SDK for Windows x64. No colcon, no rosdep, no complex setup.
How to use
cd demo
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
cmake --build . --config Debug
Run the publisher:
demo_pubsub.exe pub
Run the subscriber (in another terminal):
demo_pubsub.exe sub
That's it. A working ROS2 publisher/subscriber on Windows, built with plain CMake.
Cross-platform support
Currently provides Windows x64 Debug build. The SDK can also be cross-compiled to:
- Linux x64 — for servers and desktops
- ARM-Linux — for embedded devices and industrial controllers
This makes it practical for industrial deployment: develop on Windows, deploy on Linux/ARM.
Rviz2Windows — Double-click RViz2
GitHub: https://github.com/huming516520/Rviz2Windows
A standalone RViz2 that runs on Windows by double-clicking rviz2.exe.
No ROS2 installation. No environment variables. No dependencies to install. Just download, extract, and double-click.
Comparison
| Traditional ROS2 on Windows | This approach | |
|---|---|---|
| Toolchain | rosdep, colcon, Python deps | None |
| Build system | colcon build | cmake |
| Environment setup | Complex | Point to SDK path |
| RViz2 | Build from source or use WSL | Double-click to run |
| Time to first run | Hours to days | Minutes |
Who is this for?
- ROS2 developers on Windows who are tired of environment issues
- Industrial engineers who need ROS2 on Windows-based industrial PCs
- Students and researchers who want to start learning ROS2 quickly
- Teams who need to deploy across Windows / Linux / ARM
License
Both projects are compiled from ROS2 Humble source code and comply with the original ROS2 licenses (Apache License 2.0 / BSD License). All third-party libraries retain their original licenses. Free to use.
Links
- Ros2Simple: https://github.com/huming516520/Ros2Simple
- Rviz2Windows: https://github.com/huming516520/Rviz2Windows
Feedback, issues, and suggestions are welcome!
If you have commercial needs (custom builds, consulting, industrial deployment), contact: huming516520@gmail.com
