Orin Nano 8Gb Dev-Board Issues with Flashing Encrypted Root Filesystem of JetPack 5.1.2

Issue Overview

Users have reported difficulties when attempting to flash the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano 8GB development board with an encrypted root filesystem using JetPack 5.1.2. The main symptoms include:

• Flashing Failures: Users experience inconsistent flashing results, where the Linux kernel flashes successfully, but other packages fail to install—sometimes all, and other times approximately 20%. There is no discernible pattern to these failures.

• Error Messages: During the flashing process, users encounter error messages such as “No key available with this passphrase” and “Failed to unlock the LUKS partition,” indicating issues with the decryption of the encrypted root filesystem.

• Environment Context: The problems arise during the downgrade from JetPack 6 to JetPack 5.1.2, particularly when dealing with encrypted SSD partitions. Users are attempting to replicate successful flashing methods used in JetPack 6 without success in JetPack 5.1.2.

• Hardware and Software Specifications: The discussions mention the use of Ubuntu 20.04 as the host operating system and various configurations for flashing, including both development and production modules of the Orin Nano.

• Impact on User Experience: These issues significantly hinder the ability to utilize the development board effectively, impacting both development timelines and project deliverables.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for the observed issues have been identified:

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: There may be compatibility issues between the Orin Nano hardware and specific versions of JetPack, especially concerning encrypted filesystems.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Bugs in JetPack 5.1.2 or conflicts with previously installed packages from JetPack 6 could lead to flashing failures.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect configuration settings during the flashing process (e.g., incorrect partition sizes or encryption settings) can cause failures.

• Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers may prevent proper communication between the host machine and the Jetson board during flashing.

• Environmental Factors: Power supply issues or overheating during the flashing process could lead to incomplete installations or failures.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Mistakes made during setup or while executing commands could result in failed attempts to flash the device correctly.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To address these issues, users can follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify Environment Setup:

   • Ensure that you are using a supported version of Ubuntu (preferably Ubuntu 20.04).
   • Install necessary crypto packages:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install cryptsetup dislocker libcryptsetup-dev libcryptsetup12 cryptmount qemu-user-static python3-pip python-pip
     pip install cryptography pycrypto
     

2. Check SDK Manager Logs:

   • Review logs generated by SDK Manager for any specific error messages related to package installations.
   • Logs can provide insights into which packages failed during installation.

3. Use Correct Flashing Commands:

   • Follow recommended commands for flashing both internal and external devices:

     sudo BOARDID=3767 BOARDSKU=0005 ./flash.sh --no-flash -k A_eks -i "sym2_t234.key" jetson-agx-orin-devkit mmcblk0p1
     sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --showlogs --network usb0 --flash-only
     

4. Generate Encryption Keys Properly:

   • Ensure that keys are generated correctly using OpenSSL:

     openssl rand -rand /dev/urandom -hex 32 > sym_t234.key
     openssl rand -rand /dev/urandom -hex 16 > sym2_t234.key
     

5. Adjust Partition Sizes:

   • Calculate appropriate partition sizes based on SSD capacity:

     sudo blockdev --getsz /dev/nvme0n1
     

   • Use this output to set EXT_NUM_SECTORS and APP_ENC_SIZE in your XML configuration file accordingly.

6. Recovery Mode Preparation:

   • Connect the Jetson board using USB-C and UART cables.
   • Switch it to Forced Recovery mode before starting the flashing process.

7. Double Check Connections:

   • Ensure all cables are securely connected and that there are no loose connections that could affect communication.

8. Retry Flashing with Adjusted Parameters:

   • If initial attempts fail, adjust parameters based on previous successful configurations noted in forum discussions.
   • For example, ensure that you append necessary flags like --generic-passphrase if required for your specific setup.

9. Monitor UART Logs:

   • Use UART logs to monitor real-time feedback during flashing, which can help identify where failures occur.

   sudo minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -8 -b 115200 -o -C minicom.log
   

10. Post-Flashing Checks:

    • After flashing, verify BIOS version and disk partitions using commands:

      sudo dmesg | grep BIOS
      sudo lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT
      df -h
      

11. Auto-resize Partition if Necessary:

    • If partitions appear too small after installation, run:

      sudo resize2fs /dev/mapper/crypt_root
      

By following these steps systematically, users can troubleshoot and potentially resolve issues related to flashing encrypted root filesystems on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano boards effectively.