Problems installing and booting using USB

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing significant issues when attempting to install and boot the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano using USB drives. The primary symptoms include:

• Installation Failures: Users report successful installations only on a 256 GB flash drive, while attempts to install on 64 GB USB drives consistently fail. The error message encountered is:

  Error: Invalid argument during seek for read on /dev/sda
  [ 9]: l4t_flash_from_kernel: Error: partprobe failed. This indicates that:
  the xml indicates the gpt is larger than the device storage
  the xml might be invalid
  the device might have a problem.
  

• Slow Boot Times: Once installed, the system exhibits extremely slow boot times, taking over 40 seconds, compared to approximately 25 seconds for older models like the Jetson Nano.
• Context of Issue: These problems arise during the installation process via the SDK Manager and while attempting to boot from USB drives, which users prefer over microSD cards.

The issue appears to be consistent across multiple users, indicating a broader problem with USB installation processes on this device.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes have been identified for these issues:

• Hardware Incompatibilities: The specific USB drives used may not be compatible with the Jetson Orin Nano, especially if they do not meet certain performance or capacity requirements.
• Software Bugs: There could be bugs in the SDK Manager or the flashing process that lead to installation failures.
• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in configuration files such as flash_l4t_external.xml may prevent successful installations.
• Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers may lead to errors during the boot process.
• User Errors: Improper formatting of USB drives or incorrect usage of commands can contribute to installation failures.
• Environmental Factors: Power supply issues or overheating during installation could impact performance.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

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

1. Format USB Drives:

   • Ensure that USB drives are properly formatted before flashing. Use a reliable file system like ext4.

2. Check Sector Size:

   • Use the command:

     sudo fdisk -l
     

   • Verify the sector size of the USB drive and ensure it matches expected values.

3. Modify Configuration File:

   • Edit flash_l4t_external.xml located in Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/:
     • Adjust the num_sectors= field based on your USB drive’s specifications.
   • This modification has resolved issues for some users and can be done manually prior to installation.

4. Use SDK Manager Correctly:

   • Ensure that your Jetson Orin Nano is in recovery mode when using SDK Manager.
   • Follow prompts carefully and consider using "Manual Setup" in SDK Manager to avoid detection issues.

5. Install on MicroSD as a Workaround:

   • If USB installations continue to fail, consider installing on a microSD card as a temporary solution until USB issues are resolved.

6. Check for Updates:

   • Regularly check for updates to JetPack and SDK Manager as newer versions may resolve existing bugs.

7. Monitor Boot Process:

   • If experiencing slow boot times, investigate potential hardware bottlenecks or consider optimizing startup applications.

8. Community Support:

   • Engage with community forums for additional insights or similar experiences from other users who may have found successful solutions.

9. Documentation and Resources:

   • Refer to Nvidia’s official documentation for further guidance on flashing and troubleshooting procedures.

10. Consider Hardware Limitations:

    • Be aware that some hardware limitations may inherently affect performance and compatibility with certain USB drives.

By following these steps, users can better diagnose and potentially resolve their installation and booting issues with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board.