Need Assistance with ArduPilot Source Code Modification and Compilation

ArduCopter
1

Hello ArduPilot Community,

I am an experienced C++ programmer who is new to the ArduPilot ecosystem. I am eager to learn how to modify the ArduPilot source code, compile it, and upload it to my flight controller. I have gone through the ArduPilot documentation on building the code, but I must admit, I found it quite complex and challenging to understand. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to make any progress.

I understand that there’s a learning curve involved, and I am more than willing to invest the time and effort required to familiarize myself with the process. However, I could really use some guidance and advice from the experienced members of this community to help me get started.

Specifically, I would appreciate it if someone could:

  1. Provide a simplified explanation of the steps involved in modifying the source code and setting up the necessary development environment.
  2. Share any helpful resources or tutorials that can help me better understand the process of building and uploading the custom firmware to my flight controller.
  3. Offer any tips or best practices for working with the ArduPilot source code, including recommendations for useful tools or workflows.

I am excited about the potential of working with the ArduPilot system and look forward to contributing to this amazing community in the future. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

2

Good evening, @Sarkhan_Hummer. Get an Ubuntu system set up and start here: Building the code — Dev documentation (ardupilot.org)

If you use the supported systems, it seems to proceed smoothly. If you try to use another Linux variant, you may spend a lot of time getting everything configured properly.