ci: add github action to automatically build ros

.github/workflows/build.yml

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+name: Docker Build Check
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ "main", "master" ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ "main", "master" ]
+
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      # might need updating
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Build Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          context: . # Use the repository root as the build context
+          file: ./Dockerfile
+          push: false
+          tags: uvic-rover-build-test:latest
+          # think about disabling this if it is taking up too much space
+          cache-from: type=gha # Enable GitHub Actions cache for Docker layers
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max # Save cache for future runs
+

Dockerfile

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+# Use the official ROS Noetic base image (Ubuntu 20.04)
+FROM ros:noetic-ros-base
+
+LABEL maintainer="UVicRobotics <uvic.robotics@gmail.com>"
+
+# Prevent interactive prompts during apt installations
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+# Install essential tools and ROS dependencies listed in package.xml and CMakeLists.txt
+# git is needed for rosdep to potentially fetch sources
+# python3-pip might be needed for Python script dependencies not handled by rosdep
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    git \
+    python3-pip \
+    ros-noetic-gps-common \
+    ros-noetic-robot-localization \
+    # Clean up apt cache to reduce image size
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Create the catkin workspace directory
+RUN mkdir -p /catkin_ws/src
+WORKDIR /catkin_ws
+
+# Copy the entire ROS package source code into the workspace's src directory
+# Assumes the Dockerfile is located at the root of your uvic_rover package directory
+COPY . src/uvic_rover/
+
+RUN rosdep update
+
+# Install dependencies listed in package.xml for all packages in the src directory
+# --from-paths specifies where to find package.xml files
+# --ignore-src prevents reinstalling packages already present in the src directory
+# -r continues even if some dependencies fail (useful in CI, but check logs)
+# -y confirms installations automatically
+RUN rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y
+
+# Build the catkin workspace
+# Source the main ROS setup file before running catkin_make
+RUN /bin/bash -c "source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash && catkin_make"
+
+CMD ["/bin/bash", "-c", "source /catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash && bash"]
+

docs/dev.md

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+# Docker instructions
+
+1.  Build the Docker image using a command like:
+    ```bash
+    docker build -t uvic_rover_image .
+    ```
+
+2.  Run the container interactively:
+
+    ```bash
+    docker run -v $(pwd):/catkin_ws/src/ ... my_image
+    ```
+
+    run this at the top of the repo. Mount the uvic_repo (pwd) into a catkin_ws/src (ros package)
+
+3. Build packages
+
+    Inside catkin_ws
+
+    ```bash
+    catkin_make
+    source devel/setup.bash
+    ```