diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap b/scripts/bootstrap
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..43a2b6622
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+./scripts/init_workspace
+
+# if there's an appctl directory behind us, link it in
+[ -e ../appctl/appctl ] && ./scripts/init_workspace -x ${PWD}/../appctl/appctl
diff --git a/scripts/console b/scripts/console
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..40795e1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/console
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+./scripts/bootstrap
+
+[[ "$(docker images | grep -c lg_ros_nodes.*latest)" == 0 ]] && ./scripts/update
+
+MOUNTS=""
+
+for rosnode in $(ls catkin/src/* -d | grep -v CMake); do
+  # $rosnode is catkin/src/package_name
+  MOUNTS="${MOUNTS} -v $(readlink ${rosnode}):/src/lg_ros_nodes/${rosnode}"
+done
+
+echo ${MOUNTS}
+
+docker run ${MOUNTS} -it lg_ros_nodes:latest /bin/bash -c "
+  cd /src/lg_ros_nodes/catkin
+  source devel/setup.bash
+  source ../scripts/docker_xvfb_add.sh
+  echo 'run catkin_make before anything'
+  /bin/bash
+"
diff --git a/scripts/init_workspace b/scripts/init_workspace
index eb7c25738..159e74d5c 100755
--- a/scripts/init_workspace
+++ b/scripts/init_workspace
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 import os
 import argparse
 from subprocess import Popen
-from ConfigParser import RawConfigParser, NoSectionError, NoOptionError
+from configparser import RawConfigParser, NoSectionError, NoOptionError
 
 # make sure to set the root directory
 ROOT_DIR = os.path.realpath(os.curdir)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def parse_config():
     """
     config_file = 'scripts/init.cfg'
     if not os.path.exists(config_file):
-        print 'WARNING, no %s found, using possibly outdated configuration' % config_file
+        print(f"WARNING, no {config_file} found, using possibly outdated configuration")
         return  # rely on hard coded values... maybe an exception would work
     # setting these globals
     global IGNORE_DIRS
@@ -186,9 +186,9 @@ def check_validity():
     for needed in NEEDED_DIRS:
         if needed not in links:
             passed = False
-            print "############## WARNING catkin/src SHOULD HAVE %s LINK ##############" % needed
+            print(f"############## WARNING catkin/src SHOULD HAVE {needed} LINK ##############")
     if passed:
-        print "Successfully completed workspace initialization"
+        print("Successfully completed workspace initialization")
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/scripts/update b/scripts/update
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..3b0946684
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+docker build . -t lg_ros_nodes