Linux IDE Setup

These setup instructions will allow you to write and deploy code from your Linux computer, but not control or talk to the robot or use the Phoenix Tuner for CTRE equipment.

Note: This configuration has not been tested. It should be correct, but you might need to do some digging.

git

git is a Version Control Systems (VCS). It keeps track of file changes and versions, and it enables collaboration in programming teams. Throughout this guide, we will be using git on our local computer with Sourcetree as a GUI, and we will use GitHub for hosting our code in the cloud.

1. Create a free GitHub account
2. Install git on your computer. During installation, select Override default branch name to main (read more here about this decision). Leave all other settings as default
3. Alternatively you can use apt update && apt install git && git config --global init.defaultBranch main if you prefer the command line

Sourcetree

git itself is a command line program, which means you have to use a Windows CMD shell or macOS/Linux Bash shell to access it. Using the command line might look something like this:

git clone https://github.com/JHS-Viking-Robotics/Java-Hello-World.git
git add *
git commit -m "Add some files"
git push

However, git is sometimes tricky to use and most people are not comfortable on a command line. The company Atlassian made a really neat GUI for git called Sourcetree which we will use instead.

1. Download and run the installer for Sourcetree on your computer
2. Skip Bitbucket registration
3. Uncheck Mercurial download (we already have git installed)
4. Enter the name and email address you used for GitHub
5. In Sourcetree, go to Preferences >> Commit and copy/paste the text below into the text box

# Subject line, try to keep under 50 characters
#
# Why is this commit necessary?
#
# How does this commit fix said problem?
#
# Bullet points are fine for extra paragraphs
# - This is a point
# - Here's another
#
# Address any issues, articles, projects, etc.
# Resolves: #123
# See also: #456, #789

WPI Library

We now have git and Sourcetree installed. We need to install the WPI Library, which is the official codebase for FRC projects (read more on the official docs). This installation will come with a copy of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code pre-configured with Java, Gradle, Maven, and other tools for Java development.

1. Go to the WPILib GitHub page, scroll down, and download the newest installer labeled WPILib_Linux-<VERSION>.tar.gz, and launch the installer
2. Choose Download VS Code for Single Install and follow the rest of the instructions

CTRE Phoenix Library

The final piece of software to install is the Phoenix Library from Cross The Road Electronics. This library allows us to easily integrate CTRE hardware like Talon SRX motor controllers or Pigeon IMU’s into our code. While we could do all of these things with just the WPI Library, it is much simpler and recommended to use the official Phoenix Library.

1. Go to the CTRE GitHub page and download the newest installer labeled CTRE_Phoenix_FRC_Linux_<VERSION>.zip
2. Open the folder and follow the instructions in the README.txt file. This involves copying the vendordeps and maven folders into ~/wpilib/2021, and the contents of Robotbuilder into the corresponding folder in ~/wpilib/2021

Next Steps

You should now have Git, Sourcetree, the WPI Library, and the CTRE Phoenix Library installed on your computer.

Head over to the next section Learn Java to start learning how to use these tools.