How to Build a Custom Kernel Driver for Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties in building a specific kernel driver for the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board, particularly when developing camera drivers. The main symptoms include:

• Errors during the driver build process: Users report spending excessive time trying to compile the necessary modules without success.

• Context of the issue: The problem arises during the setup phase when attempting to rebuild out-of-tree (OOT) drivers, specifically with Jetpack version 6.0 GA.

• Hardware and software specifications: The issue is being faced on systems running Jetpack-6.0, with kernel headers located at /usr/src/linux-headers-5.15.122-tegra-ubuntu22.04_aarch64.

• Frequency of the issue: While not quantified, the discussion indicates that this is a common challenge among developers working with custom drivers on this platform.

• Impact on user experience: The inability to build the required drivers hampers development efforts, delaying project timelines and functionality testing.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes may lead to the issues users are facing:

• Hardware incompatibilities or defects: If the hardware components are not fully compatible with the Jetson Orin Nano, it may lead to driver build failures.

• Software bugs or conflicts: Bugs within the Jetpack software or conflicts between different versions of libraries could prevent successful driver compilation.

• Configuration errors: Incorrect configurations in the build environment or missing dependencies can hinder the driver build process.

• Driver issues: Existing drivers may conflict with newly built modules, causing errors during compilation.

• Environmental factors: Issues such as insufficient power supply or overheating could affect system performance and driver building capabilities.

• User errors or misconfigurations: Mistakes in following build instructions or incorrect command usage can lead to failures in compiling the driver.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To address the issues related to building a custom kernel driver, follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps and solutions:

1. Verify Environment Setup

   • Ensure that you are using Jetpack version 6.0 GA.
   • Check that all necessary development tools are installed (e.g., gcc, make, etc.).

2. Prepare Directories and Source Files

   • Create a directory for your source files:

     sudo mkdir -p /usr/src/nvidia-jetson-1.0
     

   • Navigate to this directory:

     cd /usr/src/nvidia-jetson-1.0
     

3. Extract Kernel Module Sources

   • Extract the OOT driver sources and display driver source:

     sudo tar xf /tmp/kernel_oot_modules_src.tbz2
     sudo tar xf /tmp/nvidia_kernel_display_driver_source.tbz2
     

4. Set Ownership of Source Directory

   • Change ownership of the directory to your user:

     sudo chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /usr/src/nvidia-jetson-1.0
     

5. Set Kernel Headers Environment Variable

   • Export the path to your kernel headers:

     export KERNEL_HEADERS="/usr/src/linux-headers-5.15.122-tegra-ubuntu22.04_aarch64/3rdparty/canonical/linux-jammy/kernel-source"
     

6. Clean and Build Modules

   • Clean any previous builds:

     make ARCH=arm64 -j8 clean
     

   • Build the modules:

     make ARCH=arm64 -j8 modules
     

7. Install Modules

   • Install the compiled modules:

     sudo make ARCH=arm64 -j8 modules_install
     

8. Testing and Verification

   • After installation, verify that the driver is loaded correctly using:

     lsmod | grep <driver_name>
     

9. Consult Documentation

   • Refer to Nvidia’s official documentation for any additional configuration or troubleshooting tips related to custom drivers.

10. Best Practices for Future Builds

    • Regularly update your Jetpack version and kernel headers.
    • Keep backups of working configurations.
    • Document any changes made during development for future reference.

If issues persist after following these steps, consider reaching out to community forums for further assistance or checking for updates regarding known bugs in your specific Jetpack version.