Glossary

catkin.conf

A file that lives on a special orphan branch catkin in a GBP repository which contains catkin meta-information (like upstream repository location and type) used when making releases with catkin.

cmake current files directory

A location used by catkin to store intermediate files generated by cmake. Catkin uses ${CMAKE_CURRENT_FILES_DIRECTORY}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}, for instance ... build/ros_comm/clients/cpp/roscpp/CMakeFiles. (Note the CMakeFiles at the end of that path)

config-mode infrastructure

Files named <project>-config.cmake and <project>-config-version.cmake which are used by cmake’s find_package() in “config mode”.

dry

a package/stack/whatever not yet converted to catkin/FHS build & install.

Environment files

The setup.sh, setup.zsh and setup.bash files generated and installed by catkin. See also Environment files.

FHS

The Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

generated code

Code generated during the build process, typically by a message code generator package. May or may not require compilation.

GBP repository

A git-buildpackage repository. Contains released upstream source and the associated debian build files sufficient to assemble binary and source debs. Catkin-controlled repositories also contain a branch catkin with meta-information.

package

generally something “smaller” than a stack... but a package can be a stack.

pkgutil

Nifty python package: http://docs.python.org/library/pkgutil.html

project

CMake’s notion of a buildable subdirectory: it contains a CMakeLists.txt that calls CMake’s project() macro.

stack

unit of installation. These get made in to debs.

static code

Code typed in by a developer, contrast generated code

wet

a package/stack/whatever already converted to catkin/FHS build & install.