Jetson orin nano stuck at first boot

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson Systems Jetson Orin NX
1

I’m trying to boot my Jetson Orin Nano developer kit for the first time with an SD card 256gig in size, i have followed the steps outlined here https://www.jetson-ai-lab.com/tutorials/initial-setup-jetson-orin-nano/ i still get the stuck at the UEFI shell screen, i have tried all the workarounds found in similar conversations but none worked, i proceeded to used the sdk manager on an ubuntu computer, the flashing process stops at 97%
:11:37 INFO: 00:06:29.685 - Debug: Formatting APP parition done

00:11:37 INFO: mount: /tmp/ci-sDuWy3SdNe: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/mmcblk0p1, missing codepage or helper program, or other error.

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:06:29.821 - Error: Failed to mount APP partition /dev/mmcblk0p1

00:11:37 INFO: 00:06:29.830 - Debug: Failed to write to APP

00:11:37 INFO: 00:06:29.836 - Debug: The device size indicated in the partition layout xml is smaller than the actual size. This utility will try to fix the GPT.

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:06:29.840 - Error: Error flashing external device

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:11:37.312 - Error: Flash failure.

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:11:37.314 - Error: Either the device cannot mount the NFS server on the host or a flash command has failed. Check your network setting (VPN, firewall,…) to make sure the device can mount NFS server. Debug log saved to /tmp/tmp.nZG4gQNzLJ. You can access the target’s terminal through “sshpass -p root ssh root@fc00:1:1:0::2”

00:11:37 INFO: 00:11:37.316 - Debug: The last 5 lines of the debug log are:

00:11:37 INFO: mount: /tmp/ci-sDuWy3SdNe: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/mmcblk0p1, missing codepage or helper program, or other error.

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:06:29.821 - Error: Failed to mount APP partition /dev/mmcblk0p1

00:11:37 INFO: 00:06:29.830 - Debug: Failed to write to APP

00:11:37 INFO: 00:06:29.836 - Debug: The device size indicated in the partition layout xml is smaller than the actual size. This utility will try to fix the GPT.

00:11:37 ERROR: 00:06:29.840 - Error: Error flashing external device

00:11:53 INFO: Cleaning up…

00:11:53 ERROR: [exec_command]: /bin/bash -c /home/ephraim/.nvsdkm/replays/scripts/JetPack_6.2.2_Linux/NV_L4T_JETSON_LINUX_FLASH_COMP.sh; [error]: chown: warning: ‘.’ should be ‘:’: ‘root.root’

00:11:53 INFO: [ Component Install Finished with Error ]

00:11:53 INFO: [host] [ 687.29 MB released. Disk Avail on Partition /dev/sda2: 241.44 GB ]

00:11:53 INFO: [ NV_L4T_JETSON_LINUX_FLASH_COMP Install took 37m18s ]

00:11:53 ERROR: command error code: 11

00:11:53 DEBUG: command terminated with error

00:11:53 SUMMARY: Installation failed.

i then swapped sd cards to a 128gig, it failed at 96% with this error
01:04:52 INFO: Copied 16896 bytes from /mnt/internal/gpt_secondary_3_0.bin to address 0x03ffbe00 in flash

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.432 - Info: Successfully flashed the QSPI.

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.440 - Debug: The device size indicated in the partition layout xml is smaller than the actual size. This utility will try to fix the GPT.

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.446 - Debug: Failed to write to APP

01:04:52 ERROR: 00:04:07.450 - Error: Error flashing external device

01:04:52 ERROR: 01:04:52.344 - Error: Flash failure.

01:04:52 ERROR: 01:04:52.348 - Error: Either the device cannot mount the NFS server on the host or a flash command has failed. Check your network setting (VPN, firewall,…) to make sure the device can mount NFS server. Debug log saved to /tmp/tmp.LFkPGspV45. You can access the target’s terminal through “sshpass -p root ssh root@fc00:1:1:0::2”

01:04:52 INFO: 01:04:52.350 - Debug: The last 5 lines of the debug log are:

01:04:52 INFO: Copied 16896 bytes from /mnt/internal/gpt_secondary_3_0.bin to address 0x03ffbe00 in flash

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.432 - Info: Successfully flashed the QSPI.

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.440 - Debug: The device size indicated in the partition layout xml is smaller than the actual size. This utility will try to fix the GPT.

01:04:52 INFO: 00:04:07.446 - Debug: Failed to write to APP

01:04:52 ERROR: 00:04:07.450 - Error: Error flashing external device

01:05:01 INFO: Cleaning up…

01:05:01 ERROR: [exec_command]: /bin/bash -c /home/ephraim/.nvsdkm/replays/scripts/JetPack_6.2.2_Linux/NV_L4T_JETSON_LINUX_FLASH_COMP.sh; [error]: chown: warning: ‘.’ should be ‘:’: ‘root.root’

01:05:01 INFO: [ Component Install Finished with Error ]

01:05:01 INFO: [host] [ 2.77 MB released. Disk Avail on Partition /dev/sda2: 241.43 GB ]

01:05:01 INFO: [ NV_L4T_JETSON_LINUX_FLASH_COMP Install took 36m19s ]

01:05:01 ERROR: command error code: 11

01:05:01 DEBUG: command terminated with error

01:05:01 SUMMARY: Installation failed.

after i ran into that i flashed the sd card with the os image this time using dd comand, it completed but when i put it into the jetson it comes on, after displaying the nvidia logo and then goes off , comes back on but the screen remain does not come on

2

*** Please note that this reply is generated by LLM automatically ***

Based on the provided information, it seems like you’re experiencing issues with flashing your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit with an SD card. You’ve tried two different SD cards (256GB and 128GB) and encountered errors during the flashing process.

The first error you encountered with the 256GB SD card is related to mounting the APP partition. The error message indicates that the device size indicated in the partition layout XML is smaller than the actual size, and the utility is trying to fix the GPT. However, it fails to mount the APP partition and write to it.

The second error you encountered with the 128GB SD card is similar, but it occurs at a different stage of the flashing process. The error message indicates that the device size indicated in the partition layout XML is smaller than the actual size, and the utility is trying to fix the GPT. However, it fails to write to the APP partition.

In both cases, the flashing process fails, and you’re unable to boot your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit.

After flashing the SD card with the OS image using the dd command, you’re able to boot your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit, but the screen remains off.

Here are a few potential solutions to your problem:

  1. Check the SD card: Ensure that the SD card is compatible with your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit and that it’s properly formatted. You can try reformatting the SD card using a tool like gparted or fdisk.
  2. Verify the partition layout: Make sure that the partition layout on the SD card matches the expected layout for your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit. You can use a tool like fdisk or parted to verify the partition layout.
  3. Update the UEFI firmware: Ensure that the UEFI firmware on your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit is up-to-date. You can check for updates using the sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get upgrade commands.
  4. Try a different flashing method: Instead of using the SDK Manager, try flashing the SD card using the flash.sh script provided with the JetPack SDK. This script can be found in the tools/kernel_flash directory of the JetPack SDK.
  5. Check the display settings: Ensure that the display settings on your Jetson Orin Nano developer kit are properly configured. You can try adjusting the display settings using the sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf command.

Here’s an example of how you can use the flash.sh script to flash your SD card:

sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/flash.sh -u <pkc_keyfile> [-v <sbk_keyfile>] --uefi-keys uefi_keys/uefi_keys.conf jetson-orin-nano-devkit internal

Replace <pkc_keyfile> and <sbk_keyfile> with the actual file paths to your PKC and SBK key files, respectively.

If none of these solutions work, you may want to try seeking further assistance from the NVIDIA Jetson community or contacting NVIDIA support directly.

In comparison to the provided context, the flashing commands for the Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit (USB) and (SD card) are similar to the commands you’ve tried, but with some differences in the options and parameters used. For example, the --external-device option is used to specify the external device to flash, and the -c option is used to specify the configuration file to use.

Here’s an example of how you can use the flash.sh script to flash your SD card on a Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit:

sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/flash.sh --external-device mmcblk0p1 -c tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_t234_nvme.xml --showlogs --network usb0 jetson-agx-orin-devkit external

Note that the --external-device option is used to specify the SD card as the external device to flash, and the -c option is used to specify the configuration file to use.

*** Please give the thumbs up if you get answers you like. Or provide feedback to help us improve the answer. ***

4

I put that 128 GB SD card into another Jetson after the NVIDIA, I hit enter, but it doesn’t work, it counts down, turns off, come back on. Repeat for like 3 times, then it takes me to the blank screen with the blinking underscore at the top left corner

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-20 at 5.54.48 AM
WhatsApp Image 2026-05-20 at 5.54.48 AM1008×756 106 KB

startup screen i get shown this screen

6

Hi @auduaudue,

The key error is this part:

Failed to mount APP partition /dev/mmcblk0p1
Failed to write to APP

APP is the main Linux root filesystem partition. For SD-card boot on Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit, this is normally /dev/mmcblk0p1. If this partition cannot be written or mounted, the board will not be able to continue booting into Ubuntu.

Please try one clean flash path first:

  1. Use the official SD-card image flow

    For JetPack 6.2.2, please use the JetPack 6.2.1 / Jetson Linux 36.4.4 SD-card image for Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit first, then upgrade to JetPack 6.2.2 / Jetson Linux 36.5 after the board boots.

    You can refer to the following link for more details:
    JetPack SDK | NVIDIA Developer

  2. Confirm the firmware/QSPI is compatible with JetPack 6.x

    If this is a fresh unboxed Orin Nano Developer Kit, or if it was previously using JetPack 5.x, please make sure the firmware has been updated before booting a JetPack 6.x SD-card image:
    Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit Getting Started Guide | NVIDIA Developer

  3. If SDK Manager still fails

    Please export and attach the full SDK Manager log. The important failure is around the APP write/mount error, so the full log is needed rather than only the final summary lines.

Recommendation:

Please start with a known-good 64 GB or larger microSD card, flash the official Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit SD-card image, and confirm the image write is verified. Once it boots successfully, upgrade to JetPack 6.2.2 from the running system.

Hope this helps!

7

Update: I got this to work by just swapping SD cards, I got a SanDisk Extreme Pro, and it worked. thank you!

8

Thanks!