Unable to run jtop on jetson Orin Nano

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties in running the jtop application on the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board. The main symptoms include:

• Upon executing the command jtop, users receive a message indicating that the jtop.service is not active, prompting them to restart the service.
• After attempting to restart the service using sudo systemctl restart jtop.service, the same error persists.
• Checking the status of the service reveals that it is inactive and has exited successfully, but with an accompanying FileNotFoundError related to a missing directory: /sys/kernel/actmon_avg_activity/mc_all.

The issue occurs after installation of the jetson-stats package and is noted during attempts to run jtop. Users have reported this problem consistently, particularly those using Jetpack version 6.0 or 6.0DP (Developer Preview). The inability to run jtop significantly impacts users’ ability to monitor system performance effectively.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for this issue have been identified:

• Jetpack Version Issues: Users running Jetpack 6.0DP have reported encountering bugs that may not be present in stable releases.

• Service Configuration Errors: The jtop service may not be properly configured or may fail to locate necessary files, leading to its inactive state.

• Missing Directories or Files: The specific error regarding /sys/kernel/actmon_avg_activity/mc_all suggests that required system files may be missing or not created during installation.

• Reinstallation Needs: Users who recently flashed their boards may need to ensure all components are correctly installed and configured.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To resolve the issue with running jtop, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify Jetpack Version:

   • Check your Jetpack version by running:

     dpkg -l | grep nvidia
     

   • If using Jetpack 6.0DP, consider downgrading to a stable version like 5.1.2 if possible.

2. Restart jtop Service:

   • Attempt restarting the jtop service:

     sudo systemctl restart jtop.service
     

   • Check its status again:

     sudo systemctl status jtop.service
     

3. Check for Missing Files:

   • Verify if the directory /sys/kernel/actmon_avg_activity/mc_all exists:

     ls /sys/kernel/actmon_avg_activity/
     

   • If it does not exist, it may indicate an installation or configuration issue.

4. Run tegrastats as an Alternative:

   • As a temporary workaround, use tegrastats for monitoring system performance:

     sudo tegrastats
     

5. Reinstall jetson-stats Package:

   • If issues persist, consider reinstalling the package:

     sudo pip3 uninstall jetson-stats
     sudo pip3 install jetson-stats
     

6. Check for System Updates:

   • Ensure your system is up-to-date with all packages and dependencies:

     sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
     

7. Consult Documentation and Community Forums:

   • Review Nvidia’s official documentation for any updates related to Jetpack or jtop.
   • Engage with community forums for additional insights and solutions from other users facing similar issues.

8. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

   • Always ensure you are using stable versions of software and firmware.
   • Regularly check for updates on both software and hardware components.

By following these steps, users should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve issues related to running jtop on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board. Further investigation may be needed if problems persist after attempting these solutions.