Jetpack 6.x Versions Not Working (Jetson Orin Nano Dev Kit)

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties when attempting to flash the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Kit with JetPack versions 6.0 and 6.1. The primary symptoms include:

• A black screen after the boot process, where the system appears to hang at "L4TLauncher is attempting direct boot."
• Failure of the SDKManager during the flashing process, particularly at the file system and OS step, leading to an inability to complete installation.
• Successful installation with JetPack 5.x versions, indicating that the hardware itself is functioning correctly.

The issues arise in various contexts, including:

• Users attempting to set up the device using a MicroSD card for storage.
• Flashing attempts made on systems running Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04.
• Different filesystem configurations (ext3 vs. ext4) on the host machine.

The frequency of this issue appears to be consistent among users attempting to use JetPack 6.x, significantly impacting their ability to run applications like ROS2 Humble natively without containerization.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for these issues have been identified:

• Bootloader Mismatch: The error might stem from an incompatible bootloader version, affecting the flashing process and boot sequence.

• Filesystem Issues: Users reported using filesystems like ext3 or overlay instead of ext4, which could lead to permission and compatibility problems during installation.

• SDKManager Configuration: Problems with the SDKManager configuration or its execution environment may lead to errors during the flashing process.

• NFS Service Conflicts: The presence of another running NFS service on the host could interfere with the flashing process, causing it to abort.

• Environmental Factors: Running Ubuntu from a persistent USB flash drive may introduce compatibility issues compared to a standard installation.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To address these issues, follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Filesystem Type:

   • Ensure that your download directory is located on an ext4 filesystem. You can check this by running:

     df -T ~/Downloads
     

   • If it is not ext4, consider moving your files to a directory on an ext4 partition.

2. Reinstall SDKManager Packages:

   • Uninstall any existing packages using SDKManager and reinstall them:

     sdkmanager --uninstall
     sdkmanager --install
     

3. Use a Proper Ubuntu Installation:

   • If currently using a persistent USB setup, consider installing Ubuntu as a dual boot on a dedicated SSD or HDD for better compatibility.

4. Disable Conflicting Services:

   • Check if there are other NFS services running that might conflict with SDKManager:

     sudo systemctl status nfs-server.service
     

   • Stop any conflicting services before attempting to flash again:

     sudo systemctl stop nfs-server.service
     

5. Export Logs for Analysis:

   • If errors persist, export logs from SDKManager by clicking the "Export Logs" button and review them for specific error messages.

6. Flashing Process:

   • Attempt flashing again using SDKManager after ensuring all configurations are correct and no conflicting services are running.

7. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

   • Always ensure your filesystem supports Linux permissions (preferably ext4).
   • Regularly update SDKManager and JetPack versions.
   • Maintain a clean environment without conflicting services when performing installations.

8. Seek Further Assistance if Needed:

   • If issues remain unresolved after following the above steps, consider reaching out to Nvidia support or community forums with detailed logs for more targeted assistance.

By following these steps, users should be able to troubleshoot and resolve their issues with flashing JetPack 6.x on the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Kit effectively.