Hey everyone,
I’m working on a 5G NR research project requiring SCTP support for the F1 interface in OpenAirInterface (OAI), and I’ve run into a blocker with Jetson/Tegra Linux.
The Problem
The Tegra Linux kernel (used on Jetson boards) lacks native SCTP module support. The SCTP kernel module (sctp.ko) is either:
- Not compiled into the kernel
- Not available as a loadable module
- Not included in the standard Jetson kernel builds
This is a hard blocker for OAI’s F1 interface, which uses F1AP over SCTP/IP for CU/DU communication.
What I’ve Tried
- Check kernel config: SCTP wasn’t enabled in the default kernel config
- Build from source: Attempted to recompile the kernel with SCTP enabled, but hit toolchain issues (see below)
- Module not available: modprobe sctp returns “Module not found”
Why Kernel Recompilation Failed
I tried building a custom kernel with SCTP enabled, but ran into:
- Proprietary Nvidia toolchain constraints: the Jetson uses a custom/toolchain that’s difficult to replicate
- Build environment issues: even with L4T sources, the kernel build process is non-trivial
- No out-of-the-box SCTP: unlike desktop/server Linux distros, Jetson doesn’t ship with SCTP support
The Workaround (For Now)
I ended up migrating to an x86 mini PC (Intel-based) which has native, out-of-the-box SCTP support and works perfectly.
Questions
- Is there an official or community kernel module for SCTP on Jetson?
- Has anyone successfully built SCTP into the Tegra kernel? Any guides?
- Are there pre-built kernel images with SCTP enabled for Jetson?
- Is there a userspace SCTP library (like usrsctp) that could work as a permanent alternative?
- Is this on Nvidia’s roadmap to include in future L4T releases?
System Info
- Board: Jetson (testing on Nano/AGX Xavier/Orin)
- JetPack/L4T Version: Latest (5.x/6.x)
- Kernel: Tegra Linux
- Use case: 5G NR CU/DU split with OpenAirInterface
Any insights, workarounds, or existing solutions would be greatly appreciated!