ROS 2 topic echo: Missing offset pagination for bounded output

ROS 2 topic echo pagination limitation

The ros2 topic echo command provides a --limit option to bound the number of messages printed from a topic, which is useful for inspecting high‑frequency streams. However, there is no built‑in mechanism to skip an initial set of messages and resume output where a previous bounded view left off.

Users who want paginated inspection must either re‑run the command from the start and discard earlier messages or create a separate node that buffers messages locally. This approach can duplicate work, increase bandwidth usage, and raises questions about the appropriate QoS settings and memory bounds for client‑side buffering.

What QoS considerations affect message loss or duplication when implementing client‑side offset? How could an optional --offset flag be added to ros2 topic echo without altering existing behavior? Are there lightweight alternatives within the ROS 2 CLI toolchain to achieve pagination without writing custom subscriber code?