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Flashing NVIDIA Jetson OS Using CLI

Introduction​

  • In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the process of flashing the NVIDIA Jetson operating system using the command-line interface (CLI).
  • This guide is intended for Aerium-supported Jetson platforms and focuses on flashing the OS to an NVMe device using NVIDIA Linux for Tegra (L4T) tools.
  • By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully flashed Jetson system with a predefined user account and the ability to log in over USB networking.

What You Will Need​

Before we dive into the flashing process, here’s a list of everything you’ll need to complete this setup:

  • Host Linux PC
    A machine running Ubuntu, with sudo privileges.

  • Aerium carrier board with NVIDIA Jetson module
    A fully assembled carrier board with NVIDIA Jetson installed.

  • USB Cable
    Used to connect the Jetson to the host PC for recovery mode flashing and USB networking.

  • Linux for Tegra (L4T) BSP
    Downloaded from NVIDIA and prepared as described below.

How to Set It Up​

Prepare the L4T Environment​

  • Download the latest Jetson Linux release package and sample file system for your Jetson developer kit from:
    https://developer.nvidia.com/linux-tegra

  • Enter the following commands to untar the files and assemble the root filesystem:

tar xf ${L4T_RELEASE_PACKAGE}
cd Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs/
sudo tar xpf ../../${SAMPLE_FS_PACKAGE}
cd ..
sudo ./apply_binaries.sh
  • Ensure you are in the main Linux for Tegra working directory:
cd Linux_for_Tegra

Extract and Run the Helios Script​

Create a Default User Account​

  • Create a predefined user account to avoid interactive setup on first boot:
sudo ./tools/l4t_create_default_user.sh -u nvidia -p nvidia -a

flash2

  • Replace nvidia with your required username and password.
  • Accept the prompts as shown in the reference images. flash

Put the Jetson Into Recovery Mode​

  • Power off the board
  • hold the FRC button
  • Power up the board
  • release the FRC button
  • The NVIDIA Jetson module is now in recovery mode

Flash the Jetson NVMe Drive​

  • Connect the Jetson to the host PC using a USB cable.
  • From the Linux_for_Tegra directory, run the following command:
sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh \
  --external-device nvme0n1p1 \
  -c ./tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_t234_nvme.xml \
  --showlogs \
  --network usb0 \
  jetson-orin-nano-devkit-nvme \
  nvme0n1p1
  • The flashing process may take several minutes.
  • Monitor the console output for errors or warnings.

Verify Flash Completion​

  • Once flashing is complete, you should see a success message similar to the reference image.

flash2

Post-Flash Steps​

Power Cycle the Jetson​

  • Disconnect power from the Jetson.
  • Reconnect power and allow the system to boot normally.

Log In Over USB​

ssh nvidia@192.168.55.1
  • Replace nvidia with the username you created earlier.
  • Enter the corresponding password when prompted.

Final Verification​

  • Confirm that the system boots successfully.
  • Verify that the user account is properly configured.
  • Ensure the NVMe device is mounted and operational.