2026-01-23 Jetson OS Installation Log

Warning

This page is translated by LLM and may contain some inaccuracies. 中文版 (Chinese Version)

This document records the process and pitfalls of installing the OS on Jetson Orin NX between 2026-01-20 ~ 2026-01-22.

Steps

Prerequisites

  1. Prepare Host OS

    • Check usage compatibility on SDK Manager Download Page.

    • Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04 and Windows 10/11 should work.

    • We configure with Windows 11 below.

    • Since all development can be done on the Jetson, you don’t need Nvidia SDK on the Host.

      • Live USB (32GB) is an option.

      • Native OS is preferred.

      • VM is not recommended due to USB passthrough latency causing connection issues.

  2. Download and Install SDK Manager

  3. Prepare Items

    • Stable USB Type-C cable.

    • Monitor and DP cable.

    • Assembled DevKit with GPU & SSD. Refer to 2026-01-23 Jetson Assembly Log.

    • USB Keyboard and Mouse connected to DevKit.

    • Female-to-Female jumper wire.

Flash System

References

  • This section intends to replace Steps 1~7 of “Flash the System” in Jetson Orin.

    • Username & password are set in SDK Manager UI.

    • App partition automatically takes max space.

    • DevKit has built-in Wifi Antenna.

  • Summarized from Install Jetson Software with SDK Manager.

  1. DevKit Connection (Recovery Mode)

    1. Short FC REC and GND (jumper wire).

    2. Connect Type-C to Host first, then plug in power.

      • Order matters! Fan should not spin if in Recovery Mode.

    3. Connect Monitor.

    4. Install Driver if needed.

  2. SDK Manager Step 01: Check Jetson -> Check Target Hardware (Uncheck Host) -> Refresh/Select Manual -> JetPack >= 6.1.

  3. SDK Manager Step 02: Select All (Jetson Linux, Runtime, Platform Services) -> Accept -> Continue.

  4. SDK Manager Step 03: Installation.

    1. If “Recovery Mode Setup” pops up, check connections and retry Manual.

    2. Select Pre-config. Storage: NVMe. Set username/password (e.g., user/password).

    3. If connection unstable, retry connection.

    4. If stalled/interrupted, stop and restart from Step 01 (completed parts will skip).

  5. Virtual Keyboard (if no physical keyboard)

    • Login Screen: Top-right Accessibility icon -> On Screen Keyboard.

    • After Login: Settings -> Accessibility -> Show Menu -> Screen Keyboard.

    • Or Applications -> Onboard (more keys, but doesn’t work on system prompts).

SSH and Subsequent Setup

Continue from Step 8 of “Flash the System” in Jetson Orin (SSH, RT Kernel, Software Setup, Additional Packages).

  • SSH Connection

    1. Same LAN (Wifi/Ethernet).

    2. Connect:

      • Check IP with ifconfig -> ssh user@<ip>.

      • (Hack) Try ssh user@ubuntu.local.

      • (Hack 2) Use arp -a to find IP.

    3. (Recommended) Change Hostname: sudo hostnamectl hostname <newname> (e.g., toddlerbot). Then you can use ssh user@toddlerbot.local.

    4. (Recommended) Oh-My-Zsh:

      • sudo apt install zsh

      • Install oh-my-zsh script.

      • chsh -s $(which zsh)

      • Theme: gallois

  • Install Project Repo

    • JetPack & Pytorch:

      • If torch fails during test, cuda-toolkit might be missing (missing libcublas.so).

      • Fix: sudo apt install cuda-toolkit.

        ../../_images/torch_failed_during_test_for_setup.png

  • Additional Packages

    • For TensorRT path: check ~/miniforge3/envs/toddlerbot if $CONDA_PREFIX is missing.

Contribution Log

  • Operator & Author: Kevin Pan (@XiaoPanPanKevinPan)