Getting Started

Bring one robot online and start the first debug session

This is the canonical onboarding path. Install the CLI on the developer machine, install the agent on the robot, verify the robot is online, then start a managed debug session.

Support matrix

  • Robot OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+
  • ROS 2: Humble / Iron / Jazzy
  • Developer machine: macOS, Linux, or Windows for the CLI
  • Primary promise: remote debugging for ROS 2 robots behind NAT

1. Install the CLI

curl -fsSL https://downloads.robotunnel.io/install.sh -o install-robotunnel.sh
bash install-robotunnel.sh

robotunnel init "<platform-token>"
Use https://downloads.robotunnel.io/install.ps1 on Windows if you prefer the PowerShell install path.

2. Install the agent on the robot

curl -fsSL https://downloads.robotunnel.io/agent/install-agent.sh -o install-agent.sh
curl -fsSL https://downloads.robotunnel.io/agent/install-agent.config.example -o install-agent.config

# Edit install-agent.config:
# - RT_KEY
# - ROBOT_NAME (optional; defaults to hostname)
# - PLATFORM_BASE_URL (optional; only for self-hosted platform)

chmod +x install-agent.sh
./install-agent.sh ./install-agent.config

The installer registers the robot, writes the local config, fetches the initial trust bootstrap, and starts the agent.

3. Start the managed debug session

robotunnel list
robotunnel debug start <robot> --mode foxglove
robotunnel debug open <robot> --launch

robotunnel connect still exists, but it is the expert low-level tunnel path. The recommended first-run workflow is the managed debug-session path.

Verify and troubleshoot

./scripts/webrtc-preflight.sh \
  --api-url https://api.robotunnel.io \
  --api-key <robot_api_key> \
  --robot-id <robot_uuid>
  • Use robotunnel list to confirm the robot is online.
  • Use robotunnel debug status <robot> after starting a session.
  • If WebRTC fails, run the agent-side preflight check and then read the full Troubleshooting guide.
  • If you need lower-level control, fall back to robotunnel connect.
  • If you want robot-side actions beyond the first session, continue to Skills.