Open Source Linux Drone Software

ArduPilot is an open-source autopilot platform for autonomous and remotely operated vehicles. It supports airplanes, multicopters, helicopters, rovers, boats, submarines, balance bots, and other specialized vehicle types. Separate vehicle stacks include ArduPlane, ArduCopter, Rover, ArduSub, and Antenna Tracker. The software provides manual-assisted modes as well as fully autonomous missions with waypoint navigation and scripted behavior. Advanced failsafes can react to lost control links, low batteries, positioning problems, and other system failures. MAVLink telemetry connects vehicles with ground stations and companion computers for configuration, monitoring, and mission control. Extensive logging, sensor integration, camera control, scripting, and hardware support make it suitable for hobby, research, and commercial robotics.

PX4 is used in a wide range of use-cases, from consumer drones to industrial applications. It is also the leading research platform for drones and has been successfully applied to underwater vehicles and boats. PX4 provides a standard to deliver drone hardware support and software stack, allowing an ecosystem to build and maintain hardware and software in a scalable way. Drone development is complicated, and how to get started can be daunting and hard to navigate. These tutorials and resources provide a walkthrough of the basics of PX4. PX4 is highly portable, OS-independent and supports Linux, NuttX and MacOS out of the box. The PX4 User Guide explains how to assemble supported vehicles and fly drones with PX4. See the forum and chat if you need help!

QGroundControl is a cross-platform ground control station for MAVLink-enabled drones and autonomous vehicles. It provides full setup, configuration, flight control, and mission planning for platforms including PX4 and ArduPilot. Mission tools can create waypoint, survey, and structure-scan routes. The live flight view combines maps, instruments, vehicle position, telemetry, and optional video streams. Guided setup tools cover sensors, radios, flight modes, power systems, and vehicle parameters. Multiple vehicles can be connected and monitored from the same application. Additional tools include log downloading, geotagging, MAVLink inspection, consoles, and joystick control across desktop and mobile systems.

DroneBridge for ESP32 is lightweight firmware that turns inexpensive ESP32 boards into wireless telemetry links for drones and other vehicles. It bridges serial data to standard Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Long Range, ESP-NOW, or Bluetooth Low Energy. MAVLink, MSP, LTM, and arbitrary serial payloads can be transported through the system. Standard Wi-Fi can reach roughly 150 meters, while compatible ESP-NOW or long-range Wi-Fi setups can extend much farther. Traffic can be encrypted with AES-256-GCM, including broadcast-based ESP-NOW communication. A web interface handles configuration, and over-the-air updates simplify maintenance. The project focuses on telemetry and low-data-rate communication rather than video transmission.