No version for distro humble showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro kilted showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro lyrical showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
rolling

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro ardent showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro bouncy showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro crystal showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro eloquent showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro dashing showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro galactic showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro foxy showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro iron showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro lunar showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro jade showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro indigo showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro hydro showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro kinetic showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro melodic showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

CONTRIBUTING

No version for distro noetic showing jazzy. Known supported distros are highlighted in the buttons above.

dispatcher repository

dispatcher

ROS Distro
jazzy

Repository Summary

Checkout URI	https://github.com/nasa-jpl/dispatcher.git
VCS Type	git
VCS Version	master
Last Updated	2026-09-05
Dev Status	MAINTAINED
Released	UNRELEASED
Contributing	Help Wanted (-) Good First Issues (-) Pull Requests to Review (-)

Packages

Name	Version
dispatcher	0.4.4

README

Dispatcher

A Qt-based ROS 2 widget for starting, stopping, and monitoring both ROS nodes and arbitrary shell processes.

dispatcher

dispatcher builds its UI from a YAML file. Each configured item is launched in its own detached tmux session, and the terminal button can attach a gnome-terminal window to that session when available.

Runtime Parameters

The dispatcher executable uses the following ROS parameters:

Name	Type	Default	Description
`dispatcher_config_path`	`string`	`""`	Path to the dispatcher YAML file.
`initial_configuration`	`string`	`""`	Configuration name to select on startup.
`start_checked_on_startup`	`bool`	`false`	Start all checked process items after loading the initial configuration.
`ssh_timeout_sec`	`int`	`10`	Timeout used when building remote SSH commands.
`target_loop_rate_hz`	`double`	`100.0`	Main process/status polling rate.

YAML Configuration

The top-level dispatcher YAML supports:

Key	Required	Description
`workspace`	Yes	Workspace path used by ROS process items before sourcing `install/setup.bash`.
`nodes`	Yes	Process and category definitions rendered in the main panel.
`configurations`	No	Named runtime configurations. Each entry may be a simple name or a map with `name`, `cmd_prefix`, `environment_variables`, and `icon`.
`cmd_prefix`	No	Default command prefix for the implicit `all` configuration.
`environment_variables`	No	Default environment variables for the implicit `all` configuration.
`hide_unconfigured_processes`	No	If true, items missing in the active configuration are hidden instead of disabled.
`scripts`	No	Script button definitions shown in the scripts panel.
`variables`	No	Variable selectors used for `$VARIABLE` command substitution.

Node Types

Each entry in nodes can be:

A ROS process item. If type is omitted, the item is treated as ROS by default.
A shell process item with type: shell.
A collapsible category with type: category and an items array. Entries in items follow the same rules, including the default to ROS when type is omitted.

Common item fields include:

Key	Description
`name`	UI label and tmux-session base name.
`cmd`	Command used for the implicit `all` configuration.
`configurations`	Per-configuration command definitions.
`start_checked`	Whether the item starts checked in the UI. Optional, defaults to `false`.
`stop_tmux_cmd`	Stop sequence sent to tmux. Optional, defaults to `C-C`.
`hostname` / `user`	Optional remote execution target for local commands or configuration entries.
`use_cmd_prefix`	Enables or disables command-prefix injection.
`use_environment_variables`	Enables or disables environment-variable injection.
`attach_on_start`	Opens a terminal automatically after launch.

ROS process items can additionally define node_name plus an optional namespace, or a ros_nodes array with the same monitoring fields for online-state monitoring. An omitted namespace resolves to the root namespace, so name: talker matches the graph’s /talker; a name that is already absolute, such as /fcat/fcat, carries its own namespace.

Shell process items use pgrep on the item name to infer online state.

Scripts and Variables

Script entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Button label.
`cmd` or `configurations`	Script command definition.
`row`, `column`	Grid placement in the scripts panel.
`icon`	Optional Qt resource path for the button icon.
`use_terminal`	Whether to wrap execution in `gnome-terminal --`.

Variable entries support:

Key	Description
`name`	Variable name used in commands, for example `$FCAT_LOOP_RATE_HZ`.
`choices`	Selectable values exposed in the UI.

Examples

The following examples build incrementally from a minimal configuration to a full-featured setup. Each one corresponds to a YAML file in config/ and a screenshot in doc/.

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

Four examples run without any custom packages, using only the demos that ship with ROS 2. Each is self-contained and includes an rqt_graph button. Install the demo packages if needed:

```bash sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-demo-nodes-cpp \

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dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

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ROS Distrorolling

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

Repository Summary

Packages

README

Dispatcher

Runtime Parameters

YAML Configuration

Node Types

Scripts and Variables

Examples

ROS 2 Demos (runnable out of the box)

CONTRIBUTING

dispatcher repository

ROS Distrojazzy

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