This is a collection of scripts to help convert ROS stacks to Catkin.
sudo python setup.py install
# Start by running through the getting started guide at
# http://ros.org/doc/groovy/api/catkin/html/user_guide/getting_started.html
# This should give you a valid catkin groovy workspace at ~/groovy_overlay
# Next, check out a ROS stack that hasn't yet been converted to Catkin
source ~/groovy_overlay/build/buildspace/setup.sh
cd ~/groovy_overlay/src
hg clone https://kforge.ros.org/common/filters
catkinize_stack filters
# to catkinize single packages onky, call catkinize instead
# now check and adapt the CMakeLists.txt with any text editor
# deal with all TODO comments
# - Validate marked changes
# - remove all commented blocks that should now be obsolete
$EDITOR CMakeLists.txt
# Edit package.xml:
# - Make sure there is a valid maintainer
# - Uncomment dependencies as needed
$EDITOR package.xml
# Check the results
cd ~/groovy_overlay/build
cmake ../src
make
# delete the obsolete backup files once you don't need them anymore
cd ~/groovy_overlay/src/filters
# check those are all files you want to be gone
find . -name \*.backup
# delete
find . -name \*.backup -exec rm {} \;
In many cases it might be asier to start a new CMakeLists.txt from scratch, or using the catkin_create_pkg tool suplied with catkin_pkg.
This wiki page gives some instructions on how to catkinize ROS stacks.
More general information on using Catkin can be found here.
The specification for package.xml files is in REP 127.