# Introduction to ROS 2 Development with Docker > **Acknowledgment** > > This guide is a community contribution. Docker would like to thank > [Shakirth Anisha](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakirth-anisha/) for her contribution > to this guide. [ROS 2](https://www.ros.org/) is a set of software libraries and tools for building robot applications. It uses Data Distribution Service (DDS) for real-time, secure communication between distributed nodes, making it ideal for robotics and autonomous systems. --- ## What will you learn? In this guide, you'll learn how to: - Use official ROS 2 base images from Docker Hub - Run ROS 2 in an Ubuntu container - Install ROS 2 packages and dependencies - Set up a development container for local development - Run a complete end-to-end example with Turtlesim ## Prerequisites Before you begin, make sure you're familiar with the following: - [Docker Desktop](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/): You must have Docker Desktop installed and running. - [Docker concepts](/get-started/docker-concepts/the-basics/what-is-a-container/): You must understand core Docker concepts, such as images and containers. - [ROS 2 concepts](https://www.ros.org): Basic understanding of concepts like nodes, packages, topics, and services. ## What's next? Start by setting up your ROS 2 development environment using Docker and dev containers.