Jetson Container – Model Download Issue

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing issues with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano development kit, specifically related to the stable-diffusion-webui container. The primary symptom is that every time the container is started, it automatically downloads a model from Hugging Face, even if the model appears to be available in the local directory. This problem typically occurs during the initial setup or while running the container. Users have reported that despite having models stored in jetson-containers/data/models/stable-diffusion, the container still attempts to re-download them, leading to significant data usage and longer startup times. The issue seems to occur consistently across different setups, impacting user experience by causing delays and unnecessary bandwidth consumption.

Possible Causes

1. Container Reset Behavior: The container resets to its initial state upon re-launch, which may lead to the loss of cached models.
2. Incorrect Mounting: If the data directory is not correctly mounted within the container, it may not recognize existing models.
3. Configuration Errors: Misconfiguration of paths or parameters when launching the container might prevent it from accessing cached models.
4. Software Bugs: There could be bugs in the stable-diffusion-webui or the way it interacts with Docker containers.
5. User Misconfigurations: Users may inadvertently misconfigure their environments, leading to repeated downloads.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Check Mounted Directories:

   • Start the container using:

     jetson-containers/run.sh
     

   • Verify that your jetson-containers/data directory is mounted under /data inside the container and check for existing models:

     ls /data/models/stable-diffusion
     

2. Build Custom Image:

   • If models are present but still downloading, consider building a custom Docker image that includes your downloaded models to avoid repeated downloads:

     docker commit <container_id> <new_image_name>
     

3. Delete and Reinstall Jetson Containers:

   • If issues persist, delete your local jetson-containers directory:

     rm -rf jetson-containers
     

   • Re-clone the repository:

     git clone https://github.com/NVIDIA/jetson-containers.git
     

4. Run Bash for Debugging:

   • To explore what files are accessible within the container, run a bash shell instead of starting stable-diffusion-webui:

     ./run.sh $(./autotag stable-diffusion-webui) /bin/bash
     

5. Check for Updates:

   • Ensure you are using the latest version of JetPack and Docker images as updates may resolve existing bugs.

6. Monitor Network Activity:

   • Use tools like iftop or nload to monitor network activity while starting the container to confirm if it is indeed downloading large files repeatedly.

7. Consult Documentation and Forums:

   • Regularly check Nvidia’s official documentation for any updates regarding known issues or fixes related to Docker containers and model caching.

8. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

   • Always ensure that your data directories are correctly configured before launching containers.
   • Regularly back up your custom images and models to prevent loss during resets.

By following these steps, users should be able to mitigate the issue of repeated model downloads when using the stable-diffusion-webui on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano development kits. If problems persist after attempting these solutions, further investigation into specific configurations or potential software bugs may be necessary.