e4d46f20f4
The current workflow_dispatch path builds whatever HEAD of the dispatch ref
is, labels the resulting image with px4_version, and publishes. That's
fine for rebuilding current state but it cannot rebuild the exact commit
a release tag points to, because the dispatch loads the workflow file
from one ref and implicitly checks out the same ref for the build.
This matters for release recovery. When the v1.17.0-rc2 tag push failed
to publish containers back on 2026-03-13 (the v1 GHA cache protocol
removal in RunsOn v2.12.0), the tag was not re-pushed, so the only way
to publish rc2 containers now is via workflow_dispatch. Without this
change, a dispatch against release/1.17 builds release/1.17 HEAD and
labels it v1.17.0-rc2, which produces a container whose contents do not
match the rc2 tag's actual code. That is not a faithful recovery.
Add a build_ref input that controls only the checkout ref, defaulting
to empty which falls back to github.ref (preserving current behavior
for both push events and dispatches that omit the input). With this,
a release recovery looks like:
gh workflow run dev_container.yml --repo PX4/PX4-Autopilot \
--ref release/1.17 \
-f px4_version=v1.17.0-rc2 \
-f build_ref=v1.17.0-rc2 \
-f deploy_to_registry=true
The workflow loads from release/1.17 HEAD (which has the cache fix
from 39b0568 and the hardening from d74db56a), but the build uses
Tools/setup/Dockerfile from the rc2 tag. The published image has
rc2 contents under the rc2 label, as if the original tag push had
worked.
All three actions/checkout steps (setup, build, deploy) take the same
ref expression so every job sees a consistent workspace. Non-dispatch
events (push, PR) evaluate github.event.inputs.build_ref to empty and
fall back to github.ref exactly as before.
Signed-off-by: Ramon Roche <mrpollo@gmail.com>
The autopilot stack the industry builds on.
About
PX4 is an open-source autopilot stack for drones and unmanned vehicles. It supports multirotors, fixed-wing, VTOL, rovers, and many more experimental platforms from racing quads to industrial survey aircraft. It runs on NuttX, Linux, and macOS. Licensed under BSD 3-Clause.
Why PX4
Modular architecture. PX4 is built around uORB, a DDS-compatible publish/subscribe middleware. Modules are fully parallelized and thread safe. You can build custom configurations and trim what you don't need.
Wide hardware support. PX4 runs on a wide range of autopilot boards and supports an extensive set of sensors, telemetry radios, and actuators through the Pixhawk ecosystem.
Developer friendly. First-class support for MAVLink and DDS / ROS 2 integration. Comprehensive SITL simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and log analysis tools. An active developer community on Discord and the weekly dev call.
Vendor neutral governance. PX4 is hosted under the Dronecode Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation. Business-friendly BSD-3 license. No single vendor controls the roadmap.
Supported Vehicles
 Multicopter |
 Fixed Wing |
 VTOL |
 Rover |
…and many more: helicopters, autogyros, airships, submarines, boats, and other experimental platforms. These frames have basic support but are not part of the regular flight-test program. See the full airframe reference.
Quick Start
git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive
cd PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl
Note
See the Development Guide for toolchain setup and build options.
Documentation & Resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| User Guide | Build, configure, and fly with PX4 |
| Developer Guide | Modify the flight stack, add peripherals, port to new hardware |
| Airframe Reference | Full list of supported frames |
| Autopilot Hardware | Compatible flight controllers |
| Release Notes | What's new in each release |
| Contribution Guide | How to contribute to PX4 |
Community
- Weekly Dev Call — open to all developers (Dronecode calendar)
- Discord — Join the Dronecode server
- Discussion Forum — PX4 Discuss
- Maintainers — see
MAINTAINERS.md - Contributor Stats — LFX Insights
Contributing
We welcome contributions of all kinds — bug reports, documentation, new features, and code reviews. Please read the Contribution Guide to get started.
Governance
The PX4 Autopilot project is hosted by the Dronecode Foundation, a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project. Dronecode holds all PX4 trademarks and serves as the project's legal guardian, ensuring vendor-neutral stewardship — no single company owns the name or controls the roadmap. The source code is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause license, so you are free to use, modify, and distribute it in your own projects.
