b439dcebf6
dev_env_windows_native.md
- Add a "Choosing the C++ Toolchain" subsection up front naming
MSVC as the default and MinGW-w64 as the alternative for GCC
workflows, so the rationale is stated once instead of scattered
across the build / agent sections.
- Trim the Gazebo / jMAVSim "not supported" admonition to a short
warning linking down to a new "Running Non-SIH Simulators from
WSL or a Remote Linux Host" section near the end where the
longer explanation now lives.
- Drop the obsolete "px4-* client wrappers are not reliably
functional" caveat and matching Known Limitations bullet —
every wrapper now works fine from a separate PowerShell window.
- Drop the assumed $env:USERPROFILE\Documents clone path here and
in the agent section; tell readers to use a directory they have
rights over (e.g. C:\PX4, C:\opt\Micro-XRCE-DDS-Agent) and
demote the OneDrive / spaces / MAX_PATH caveats from a warning
to an info box.
- Flip the "Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools installer runs silently
for 10-15 min" admonition from warning to info — it's a heads-up,
not a danger.
- Drop "Git for Windows" from the list of things the setup script
installs (it has to exist before the script can run); add a
sentence noting the script leaves any existing Git install alone.
- Remove the inline SIH-airframes table and link to the canonical
table at sim_sih/index.md#supported-vehicle-types instead, so
we don't keep two lists in sync when new airframes land.
- Note that the agent build is MSVC-only on Windows; PX4 SITL
itself still builds fine with MinGW.
- Replace the "do not use pip's ninja" warning with a where.exe-
based diagnostic plus the actual remediation (uninstall the pip
ninja, or reorder PATH so the winget install wins).
- Add an info admonition above the ROS 2 section clarifying that
ROS 2 on Windows is OSRF-community-supported, not a first-class
PX4 platform, and pointing users who would rather run ROS 2
under WSL2 at that option.
ros2/multi_vehicle.md, ros2/user_guide.md, sim_jmavsim/multi_vehicle.md
- Reword the Windows-native info boxes ("When using the Windows
Native Development Environment...") so they don't implicitly
claim to apply to every Windows setup.
Signed-off-by: Nuno Marques <n.marques21@hotmail.com>
The autopilot stack the industry builds on.
About
PX4 is an open-source autopilot stack for drones and unmanned vehicles. It supports multirotors, fixed-wing, VTOL, rovers, and many more experimental platforms from racing quads to industrial survey aircraft. It runs on NuttX, Linux, and macOS. Licensed under BSD 3-Clause.
Why PX4
Modular architecture. PX4 is built around uORB, a DDS-compatible publish/subscribe middleware. Modules are fully parallelized and thread safe. You can build custom configurations and trim what you don't need.
Wide hardware support. PX4 runs on a wide range of autopilot boards and supports an extensive set of sensors, telemetry radios, and actuators through the Pixhawk ecosystem.
Developer friendly. First-class support for MAVLink and DDS / ROS 2 integration. Comprehensive SITL simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and log analysis tools. An active developer community on Discord and the weekly dev call.
Vendor neutral governance. PX4 is hosted under the Dronecode Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation. Business-friendly BSD-3 license. No single vendor controls the roadmap.
Supported Vehicles
 Multicopter |
 Fixed Wing |
 VTOL |
 Rover |
…and many more: helicopters, autogyros, airships, submarines, boats, and other experimental platforms. These frames have basic support but are not part of the regular flight-test program. See the full airframe reference.
Try PX4
Run PX4 in simulation with a single command. No build tools, no dependencies beyond Docker:
docker run --rm -it -p 14550:14550/udp px4io/px4-sitl:latest
Open QGroundControl and fly. See PX4 Simulation Quickstart for more options.
Build from Source
git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive
cd PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl
Note
See the Development Guide for toolchain setup and build options.
Documentation & Resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| User Guide | Build, configure, and fly with PX4 |
| Developer Guide | Modify the flight stack, add peripherals, port to new hardware |
| Airframe Reference | Full list of supported frames |
| Autopilot Hardware | Compatible flight controllers |
| Release Notes | What's new in each release |
| Contribution Guide | How to contribute to PX4 |
Community
- Weekly Dev Call — open to all developers (Dronecode calendar)
- Discord — Join the Dronecode server
- Discussion Forum — PX4 Discuss
- Maintainers — see
MAINTAINERS.md - Contributor Stats — LFX Insights
Contributing
We welcome contributions of all kinds — bug reports, documentation, new features, and code reviews. Please read the Contribution Guide to get started.
Citation
If you use PX4 in academic work, please cite it. BibTeX:
@software{px4_autopilot,
author = {Meier, Lorenz and {The PX4 Contributors}},
title = {{PX4 Autopilot}},
publisher = {Zenodo},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.595432},
url = {https://px4.io}
}
The DOI above is a Zenodo concept DOI that always resolves to the latest release. For a version-pinned citation, see the Zenodo record or our CITATION.cff.
Governance
The PX4 Autopilot project is hosted by the Dronecode Foundation, a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project. Dronecode holds all PX4 trademarks and serves as the project's legal guardian, ensuring vendor-neutral stewardship — no single company owns the name or controls the roadmap. The source code is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause license, so you are free to use, modify, and distribute it in your own projects.
