Publication
better_launch: A better replacement for the ROS2 launch system
Nikolas Dahn
In: Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS), Vol. 11, No. 118, Page n.n. JOSS, 2/2026.
Abstract
Today, most robots use middleware in order to manage and connect the various pieces of
software they need for fulfilling their tasks. Over the last years, the most popular middleware- the Robot Operating System (ROS)- has received a complete overhaul and been released
as ROS2. However, the reception so far has been mixed. While the code base has seen
several important improvements, this reinvention has also come with severe downgrades in
terms of user friendliness and usability. One of the biggest and most exposed offenders is the
launch system, responsible for orchestrating the startup and execution of the robot’s software
components. The software presented in this paper- better_launch- is a complete replacement
for the ROS2 launch system and solves several technical and usability issues. It is lightweight,
intuitive, convenient, fully documented, and comes with many examples.