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Find answers to common questions about Drift CLI, from getting started to troubleshooting.
Drift CLI is an AI-powered copilot for robotics simulations that eliminates the steep learning curve of robotics development. It’s an intelligent assistant that understands natural language and helps you build, test, and debug complex robotic systems using conversational commands.Instead of memorizing complex ROS2 commands or Gazebo configurations, you simply describe what you want to build, and Drift handles the rest.
Drift CLI provides seamless integration with ROS2 and Gazebo Sim. It can:
  • Automatically generate and manage ROS2 workspaces and packages
  • Create and validate launch files for your robots
  • Interface with Gazebo Sim for realistic simulations
  • Manage ROS2 nodes and processes in the background
  • Debug ROS2 topics, services, and other communication channels
You interact with Drift using natural language, and it translates your requests into the appropriate ROS2 and Gazebo commands.
Yes! Drift CLI is released under the MIT License and is free to use for everyone—from students learning ROS for the first time to experienced engineers developing production systems.
Drift CLI currently supports:
  • OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ (Debian-based distributions)
  • ROS: ROS2 (Humble, Foxy, or later recommended)
  • Gazebo: Gazebo Sim (Harmonic)
  • Architecture: x86_64 (amd64)
Support for older versions of ROS and Gazebo is being added.
There are several ways to get help:
  • Run /help within Drift CLI for comprehensive help and examples
  • Check the GitHub Issues for known problems and solutions
  • Email the team at founders@godrift.ai
  • Visit the website for additional resources
Drift CLI helps you build any kind of robotic system that can be simulated with ROS2 and Gazebo. Examples include:
  • Multi-arm manipulators with various sensors
  • Mobile robots with lidar, cameras, and other sensors
  • Custom robot configurations in custom world files
  • Complex multi-robot systems
Simply describe what you want in natural language, like “create a three arm manipulator with camera sensor” or “add a lidar sensor to my robot and rebuild.”
Run the /version command within Drift CLI to see your current version information. The current latest version is 1.0.12.
Drift CLI includes automatic update detection. When a new version is available, you’ll see a notification on startup. Simply run /update to install the latest version.If automatic update fails, you can manually download and install the latest .deb package from the releases page.
If you see “Command not found: drift” after installation, try:
  1. Restart your terminal to refresh the environment
  2. Manually source your shell configuration: 
    source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc if you use zsh
The installer adds Drift to your PATH, but the change may not take effect until you restart your terminal.
Drift CLI provides several special commands:
  • /help — Show comprehensive help and examples
  • /version — Display version information
  • /update — Update to the latest version
  • /ps — Show running background processes
  • /clear — Clear the terminal screen
  • /exit — Exit Drift CLI
Beyond these commands, you can use natural language to describe what you want to accomplish.

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