Cannot boot jetson orin nano after enabling the terminal on startup

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing boot failures with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board after attempting to disable the graphical user interface (GUI) on startup. The specific symptoms include:

• The device displays a warning message: “Warning Test key used.”
• Users are presented with options to hit “Enter” to continue or “ESC” to enter setup, neither of which allows successful booting.
• The issue arises after executing the command sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target, which sets the default run level to multi-user mode, effectively disabling the GUI.

This problem occurs consistently during startup following the configuration change. Users have reported that they need to reflash the device multiple times due to this issue, indicating a significant impact on their experience and functionality of the system. The Jetson Orin Nano is running JetPack version 5.13, and users have confirmed that similar configurations worked on previous versions of the Jetson Nano boards (A02 and B01).

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for this boot failure have been identified:

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: If there are any hardware issues with the Jetson Orin Nano Dev board itself, it could lead to boot problems.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: JetPack 5 may have bugs or limitations regarding framebuffer console support, which could prevent successful booting when switching to a non-GUI mode.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in systemd or other configuration files may lead to conflicts during boot.

• Driver Issues: Missing or incompatible drivers could also be a factor in preventing successful booting after disabling the GUI.

• Environmental Factors: Power supply issues or overheating could lead to instability during boot.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Incorrect command usage or misunderstanding of how systemd targets work may lead to unintended consequences.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To resolve the boot issue, users can follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps:

1. Access Serial Console:

   • Use an FTDI UART-to-USB device connected to the J50 header under the SD card. This will allow access to the serial console for diagnostics.

2. Check Boot Logs:

   • After connecting via serial console, check boot logs for any error messages that could indicate what went wrong during startup.
   • Use commands like dmesg or journalctl -b to review logs.

3. Revert Default Target:

   • If access is gained via serial console or SSH, revert back to GUI mode by executing:

     sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target
     

   • Reboot the device and check if it boots successfully.

4. Testing without GUI:

   • If users want to run applications without GUI but still need access, consider using SSH for remote access instead of disabling the GUI completely.
   • Ensure that any services that need to run at startup are properly configured as .service files and do not depend on a graphical environment.

5. Run Programs without GUI:

   • Confirm that compiled programs can run in multi-user mode by testing them with a simple service file setup. Ensure they do not require any GUI components.

6. Firmware Updates:

   • Check for any available firmware updates for JetPack and apply them as necessary to ensure compatibility and bug fixes.

7. Documentation Reference:

   • Refer to Nvidia’s official documentation for Jetson devices and JetPack for additional troubleshooting steps and best practices.

8. Best Practices:

   • Always back up configurations before making changes.
   • Document any changes made during troubleshooting for future reference.

9. Community Support:

   • If issues persist, consider reaching out on forums or communities dedicated to Nvidia Jetson products for additional insights.

By following these steps, users should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve their boot issues with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board after disabling the desktop environment.