Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board: Lack of Multi-Arch Container Support for JetPack 5.1

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties developing code for the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board due to the lack of multi-architecture container support for JetPack 5.1. Developers primarily work on x86_64 workstations and require both AMD64 and ARM64 containers to effectively leverage the JetPack containers in their development workflow.

The specific containers in question are:

• nvcr.io/nvidia/l4t-jetpack:r35.3.1: Only supports ARM64 architecture
• nvcr.io/nvidia/jetpack-linux-aarch64-crosscompile-x86:r35.3.1: Only supports AMD64 architecture

This issue impacts the smooth development process and hinders the ability to fully utilize the JetPack containers across different architectures. Developers are seeking multi-arch support to streamline their workflow and ensure compatibility with their x86_64 workstations.

Possible Causes

1. Limited architecture support: The JetPack containers are currently built to support specific architectures (ARM64 or AMD64) independently, rather than providing multi-arch support.

2. Development focus: The development efforts may have been primarily focused on supporting individual architectures separately, rather than prioritizing multi-arch compatibility.

3. Technical constraints: There might be technical challenges or limitations in creating multi-arch containers that can seamlessly work across different architectures while maintaining performance and functionality.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Verify container versions and architectures:

   • Check the architecture of the nvcr.io/nvidia/l4t-jetpack:r35.3.1 container:

     docker run --platform arm64 -it --rm --entrypoint /bin/bash nvcr.io/nvidia/l4t-jetpack:r35.3.1
     uname -a
     

     Verify that the output indicates an ARM64 architecture.

   • Check the architecture of the nvcr.io/nvidia/jetpack-linux-aarch64-crosscompile-x86:5.1 container:

     docker run --platform amd64 -it --rm --entrypoint /bin/bash nvcr.io/nvidia/jetpack-linux-aarch64-crosscompile-x86:5.1
     uname -a
     

     Verify that the output indicates an AMD64 architecture.

2. Use architecture-specific containers:

   • For ARM64 environments, use the nvcr.io/nvidia/l4t-jetpack:r35.2.1 container, as it contains the necessary libraries and supports the ARM64 architecture.
   • For AMD64 environments, use the nvcr.io/nvidia/jetpack-linux-aarch64-crosscompile-x86:5.1 container, as it is designed for cross-compilation on x86_64 workstations.

3. Request multi-arch support:

   • Reach out to the Nvidia Jetson team or file a feature request through the appropriate channels to express the need for multi-arch container support for JetPack 5.1.
   • Provide a clear explanation of the development workflow and the benefits of having multi-arch containers available.

4. Explore alternative solutions:

   • Investigate the possibility of using emulation or virtualization techniques to run ARM64 containers on x86_64 workstations, although this may have performance implications.
   • Consider setting up separate development environments for ARM64 and AMD64 architectures to work around the lack of multi-arch support.

It’s worth bringing up that the JetPack containers are specifically designed for Jetson devices and may have dependencies on Jetson-specific libraries and drivers. Running these containers on non-Jetson platforms may require additional configurations or adaptations.

As a temporary workaround, developers can use the architecture-specific containers (nvcr.io/nvidia/l4t-jetpack:r35.2.1 for ARM64 and nvcr.io/nvidia/jetpack-linux-aarch64-crosscompile-x86:5.1 for AMD64) separately based on their target architecture. However, a long-term solution would be for Nvidia to provide multi-arch container support to streamline the development process and improve compatibility across different architectures.