mavsdk_drone_show

Python Version Compatibility

Supported Python Versions

MAVSDK Drone Show (MDS) supports the following Python versions:

What Changed in Version 3.5

Python 3.13 Compatibility Fixes

The latest Raspberry Pi OS now ships with Python 3.13. We’ve updated MDS to work perfectly with this version:

  1. Removed deprecated packages
    • Removed asyncio package (built into Python since 3.4)
  2. Upgraded key dependencies
    • pandas: 2.2.2 → 2.3.3 (Python 3.13 support)
    • protobuf: 3.20.1 → 5.29.4 (Python 3.13 support + better performance)
  3. Improved installation script
    • Added Python version detection
    • Added required system dependencies
    • Fixed dependency installation issues

Installation

For Raspberry Pi (Hardware)

Run the setup script:

bash tools/raspberry_setup.sh -d <drone_id> -k <netbird_key>

The script will:

For SITL (Docker)

Docker images already include all dependencies. No action needed.

Troubleshooting

Error: “Incompatible Python Version”

Problem: You have Python 3.10 or older.

Solution:

  1. Recommended: Update to latest Raspberry Pi OS (includes Python 3.13)
  2. Alternative: Install Python 3.11+ manually:
    sudo apt-get install python3.11 python3.11-venv python3.11-dev
    

Error: “pip install” fails with compilation errors

Problem: Missing system dependencies.

Solution: The setup script now installs these automatically. If you’re installing manually:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y \
    python3-dev \
    build-essential \
    libgfortran5 \
    libopenblas-dev \
    libatlas-base-dev \
    libxml2-dev \
    libxslt-dev

Error: Packages missing at runtime

Problem: Older versions of the setup script used --no-deps flag.

Solution: Update to latest version and reinstall:

cd ~/mavsdk_drone_show
git pull origin main-candidate
bash tools/raspberry_setup.sh -d <your_drone_id> -k <your_key>

Performance Issues

Problem: Slow performance on Python 3.13.

Solution: Ensure you’re using protobuf 5.29.4 or newer:

source ~/mavsdk_drone_show/venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade protobuf>=5.29.4

Checking Your Python Version

python3 --version

Expected output:

Need Help?

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check this guide first
  2. Review the installation logs
  3. Open an issue on GitHub
  4. Contact: p30planets@gmail.com

Last Updated: January 2025 MDS Version: 3.5+