Can I create a bootable Jetpack SSD with Balena Etcher?

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson Systems Jetson Orin Nano
1

I don’t want to bother setting up a machine with Ubuntu 22 just to run SDKManager to perform this install. I do have an m.2 to USB cable that I can use to interface the NVME drive for this operation.

3

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Based on the provided context, it appears that you want to flash an NVMe drive for a Jetson Orin Nano device without setting up a machine with Ubuntu 22 to run SDKManager. You have an M2 to USB cable that allows you to interface the NVMe drive.

In this case, you can refer to the section “Flashing to an NVMe Drive” in the provided context. Specifically, you can follow the instructions under “Manually Setting Up an NVMe Drive for Booting” or “Setting Up an NVMe Drive Manually to Use as Root File System” to prepare the NVMe drive for flashing.

Since you have an M2 to USB cable, you can connect the NVMe drive to your machine and use a tool like Etcher or dd to flash the image to the drive. This process is similar to flashing an SD card, but you’ll need to ensure that you’re using the correct device identifier for the NVMe drive.

Here’s a high-level overview of the steps you can follow:

  1. Connect the NVMe drive to your machine using the M2 to USB cable.
  2. Identify the device identifier for the NVMe drive (e.g., /dev/sdX).
  3. Download the image file for the Jetson Orin Nano device.
  4. Use a tool like Etcher or dd to flash the image to the NVMe drive. For example, you can use the following command with dd:

sudo dd if=<image_file> of=/dev/sdX bs=4M

   Replace `<image_file>` with the path to the image file, and `/dev/sdX` with the device identifier for the NVMe drive.
5. Once the flashing process is complete, disconnect the NVMe drive from your machine and connect it to the Jetson Orin Nano device.
6. Follow the instructions under "Preparing Files to Boot from an NVMe Drive with Secure Boot" to prepare the NVMe drive for booting with secure boot enabled.

Note that the specific steps may vary depending on your machine and the tools you're using. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully and verify that you're using the correct device identifier for the NVMe drive to avoid any potential issues.

In comparison to flashing an SD card, flashing an NVMe drive is a similar process, but you'll need to ensure that you're using the correct device identifier and that the NVMe drive is properly connected to your machine. Additionally, you may need to follow additional steps to prepare the NVMe drive for booting with secure boot enabled.

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5

Hi,

Sorry. It’s not officially supported.

Please try latest sdk manager SDK Manager | NVIDIA Developer which support windows version now.

Thanks

6

Thank you.

I got where I needed to be by booting and setting up the Jetson Orin with a regular SD card image, then using JetsonHack’s scripts to setup the installed NVME drive.

I found that if you build the NVME drive using Balena Etcher, there is a reference to a mount for the SD card embedded, and you need other tools to edit that (or use dd with a modifier.)

I also tried SDKManager from a docker container on my Ubuntu 24 machine, but it would never complete the image file build. I overlooked the Windows version - that may have saved some time!

7

You can do that like:

I have a SD card with the latest JetPack 6.2.1 (ca. 10 GB zipped) (using Balena etcher and any Linux or Windows laptop)

I start the Orin Nano from the SD card

Then I install Balena Etcher on the running Orin Nano (using pi-apps: GitHub - Botspot/pi-apps: Raspberry Pi App Store for Open Source Projects · GitHub )

I download again the zipped JetPack 6.2.1 for SD card on my running Orin Nano

I use Balena Etcher, running on the Orin Nano to burn the JetPack 6.2.1 sd card image that’s on my Orin Nano on the nvme (you can simply choose the right one from Balena)

Then, I use this trick : Go to /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf find the following part under bootargs and change accordinly: root=/dev/mmcblk0p1 → root=/dev/nvme0n1p1

It is advised to do a reset in the bios, after a restart. Now, the Orin Nano starts with the fully loaded JetPack 6.2.1 system but now from the nvme. Take out the sd card.

No SDK Manager is needed.

Good luck

8

I see, I could edit the file from the drive when mounted after having boot from the sd card.

Seems there are many ways to do this, with access to an Ubuntu 22 machine just being the most complicated for me :-)

Thanks all for your responses.

J