Disable GUI - Can't get Login prompt working on HDMI Monitor console

I’ve been searching for the whole weekend to try to find how to do this, and have not been successful.

I want to disable the GUI completely, and have a HDMI Monitor and Connected Keyboard usable as a login console. I want the login: prompt to come up on the attached HDMI Monitor once it finishes booting.

Hardware: Orin AGX with ConnectTech Rogue
Jetpack - 5.1.3 (Cannot use 6.0 yet due to our software not supporting it yet)

I have done the following:

Flashed the complete default package following instructions from ConnectTech. When it boots, I get an active monitor with a Black screen. I applied ‘sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target’, and it does the same thing. Boots, shows kernel scroll, then screen goes black (but still active) and stays there. CTRL-ALT-F1 through F6 do nothing. Serial Console works fine.

Created a new minimal root FS following these instructions: Root File System — Jetson Linux Developer Guide documentation
Then applied CT BSP. Same behavior as above once flashed. Monitor is active but black, CTRL-ALT-F1 through F6 do nothing. Serial Console works fine.

Created and flashed a Desktop rootfs using the above instructions, because why not.
Once flashed, it boots to desktop fine, I get all the graphical fun times. Yay.
I then tried to DISABLE the desktop using ‘sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target’
It goes right back to the exact same behavior as before on the next reboot
Monitor is active but black, CTRL-ALT-F1 through F6 do nothing. Serial Console works fine.

For what it’s worth, Yes, my keyboard works… it lights up, and shows it being attached in dmesg, and it and my mouse worked fine when the desktop came up.

It looks like none of the default filesystems attach a console to the HDMI output for whatever reason, and I have not found out how to do it myself. Any help would be appreciated. I just want to use a keyboard and monitor for a console, lol.

basically it is related to this post and the answer is over there.

If you want fb console, please move to Jetpack6.

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Not an option currently. As I said, our software only runs on 5.1.X

I have some Xavier Jetson AGX units here on 5.1.2 and they have a framebuffer console, so it is possible, but those are running a custom carrier board from a custom manufacturer with a custom kernel.

Is fbcon not in the stock kernel? (I’m checking right now) I’ll recompile a kernel if I have to if that’s the issue. I have just never heard of a kernel not having fbcon in it, lol. Didn’t even consider that as a potential cause.

Hi,

Yes, Jetpack5 on Orin does not support framebuffer console due to some bugs. Not because of not in stock kernel.

Xavier and Orin are using totally different drivers so comparing Xavier with Orin in display aspect makes no sense.

Okay then, I will have to figure something out, and/or push our devs to move to JP6 sooner rather than later.

Documentation for this part in jetpack5.

https://docs.nvidia.com/jetson/archives/r35.4.1/DeveloperGuide/text/SD/Kernel/DisplayConfigurationAndBringUp/OrinDisplayconfig.html#known-limitations

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