Sorry if this is the wrong category, it’s impossible to find.
+++
title = “NVIDIA support report — Orin Nano blank screen — 2026-10-01”
doc_type = “AgentCreated”
version = 2
converted_at = “2026-10-01T18:37:44.016887349+00:00”
+++
NVIDIA support report — Jetson Orin Nano blank screen during USB installation
Prepared: 1 October 2026
Status: Draft for the owner to post; not submitted to NVIDIA.
Forum post
Suggested title
Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Super: USB installer goes blank after NVMe selection; rescue shell also blank
Problem
I am attempting a fresh installation of JetPack 7.2.1 from USB on a Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Super after replacing its previous NVMe with a 2TB WD Red SN700.
The USB boot menu is visible and I can reach the NVMe target-selection stage. After selecting the NVMe, the display goes blank. Trying the rescue-shell option also results in a blank display, so I have not obtained a usable shell or installer log.
The board remains powered on, but I cannot establish whether Linux has booted, the installation is proceeding without video, or boot has stalled.
Hardware and installation details
- Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Super developer kit.
- New target: 2TB WD Red SN700 NVMe.
- Installation medium: bootable USB.
- Monitor connected directly by DisplayPort, without a KVM.
- A confirmed USB-C data cable connects the Jetson’s USB-C port to a Kali Linux laptop.
- The previous NVMe remains intact for reference.
The intended release is JetPack 7.2.1. The exact installer ISO filename, confirmed by the owner, is jetsoninstaller-r39.2.1-2026-08-07-18-30-47-arm64.iso. The filename identifies the installer as r39.2.1; the current UEFI/QSPI version remains unconfirmed.
Firmware-update observations
During an earlier installation attempt, a firmware-update prompt appeared and I pressed Y.
I have not confirmed that both update passes completed, or recorded the resulting firmware version. Please do not assume the firmware update either succeeded or failed.
USB and console checks
After the powered-on Jetson was connected to the laptop:
lsusbdid not list an NVIDIA/Jetson device.- No
/dev/ttyACM*or/dev/ttyUSB*serial devices were detected. minicomis installed and the laptop user belongs todialout.- Access to a Jetson serial console has therefore not been demonstrated.
- The laptop kernel-log check was blocked because sudo required a password; no usable kernel-log evidence was collected.
There were also USB checks before the cable was connected. Those earlier negative results are excluded from the diagnosis.
The absence of USB enumeration does not establish a hardware failure or reveal the Jetson’s boot state.
Previous working configuration
My February 2026 records describe this board running JetPack 6.2.2 / L4T 36.5.0, Ubuntu 22.04 and kernel 5.15.185-tegra, booting from the previous NVMe.
Those records also describe manual modifications to the QSPI-updater package during that earlier upgrade, including its board-name and boot-medium checks. That firmware history may be relevant; the recorded version is historical and has not been verified on the board today.
Questions for NVIDIA
- What is the supported installation route for this exact board, target NVMe and installer release, and what firmware prerequisites should I verify?
- Which diagnostic console can capture early boot and installer output if USB-C does not enumerate? If a separate UART adapter is required, please identify the connector, pinout, electrical requirements and serial settings.
- Could the transition from the visible boot menu to a blank installer/rescue shell be a display handover problem? Which supported boot option or log would distinguish that from a boot stall?
- How can I determine whether a firmware update or installation is still active before interrupting power?
- Which details and logs should I collect next to make this report actionable?
I am seeking a supported diagnostic sequence before another firmware change or reflash.
Internal provenance — omit from the forum post
This is a separate incident report because the existing Borg documents describe the historical setup and upgrade, rather than the current support request. Their historical content has not been altered.
- Current conversation, 1 October 2026: owner confirmed JetPack 7.2.1 as the intended installation release; powered-on blank screen; confirmed USB-C data cable; post-connection USB/serial findings; firmware and boot state remain unverified.
- [M-62546cef]: replacement NVMe and USB-installation context. The recalled assistant’s JetPack-version/support assertion is deliberately excluded.
- [M-38f1f859]: direct DisplayPort connection.
- [M-2fcd4f6d]: firmware-update prompt and owner’s Y response; completion unconfirmed.
- [M-4dca00ac]: previous NVMe retained.
- Recent transcript RT-1790877657467: rescue-shell option also goes blank.
- [V-9c8b75ae] and canonical Vault document
obsidian/ipn/AI/claude/borg-setup.md2, read during preparation: historical board, software and modified QSPI-updater details.
No new device diagnostics, reboot, firmware operation, installation, or forum submission was performed while preparing this report.