How to run Python nodes in debugger mode inside Isaac ROS dev container?

Hi Isaac ROS team,

I'm currently developing Python-based ROS 2 nodes inside the isaac_ros_dev-x86_64 container, using the run_dev.sh environment.

I'd like to debug my ROS 2 Python nodes using pdb or the Visual Studio Code Python debugger. However, I’ve had trouble getting debugger mode to work correctly from inside the container. I've tried:

• Adding pdb.set_trace() in the node script: works, but not convenient for full debugging.
• Launching python3 -m debugpy --listen 5678 --wait-for-client my_node.py and attaching from VS Code: partially works.
• Using launch.json in VS Code Remote Containers to run the node directly: fails with Could not find debugpy path.

Questions:

1. What is the officially recommended way to enable Python debugger mode inside the Isaac ROS dev container?
2. Is it possible to debug a ROS 2 Python node using VS Code launch.json directly in the container environment?
3. Are there specific environment variables or entrypoints I should use to properly initialize the ROS environment before launching the node via debugger?

Any guidance or example configurations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Start by reviewing the run_dev.sh environment and the reported VS Code launch.json and debugpy setup. Document the officially supported way to launch or attach to a Python ROS 2 node in the Isaac ROS dev container, including how the ROS environment is initialized and an example configuration if one is supported.