Unable to flash Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Dev Kit to NVMe SSD via SDK Manager

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson & Embedded Systems Jetson AGX Orin
1

Hello everyone. I’m trying to install JetPack on my Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Developer Kit using SDK Manager and flash the system onto an added NVMe SSD, but I keep running into failures. Here are the details:

Host machine

  • Ubuntu 20.04 (initially) → upgraded to Ubuntu 22.04
  • SDK Manager versions: JetPack 5.1.3 and 6.2.1 (both tested)
  • I’ve tried disabling the firewall (ufw disable) and ensuring no other rpcbind/NFS services are running, but the issue persists.
    Target board
  • Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Developer Kit
  • Connected in Recovery mode over USB (SSD correctly detected as /dev/nvme0n1)
  • In SDK Manager Flash wizard I explicitly selected NVMe as the storage device.

What I’ve tried

  • Clean-install/reinstall nfs-kernel-server and rpcbind, stop existing services
  • Use both USB and Ethernet connection modes
  • Manually assign 192.168.55.1 to usb0 on host
  • Switch between Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04
  • Flash via CLI flash.sh --storage nvme0n1 …

Despite all these steps, SDK Manager always fails at the NVMe flash stage. I have seen many similar questions, but none of the solutions they provided can solve the problem.

I’ve attached the SDK Manager log (exported via the “Export Logs” button) for reference:

SDKM_logs_JetPack_6.2.1_Linux_for_Jetson_AGX_Orin_[64GB_developer_kit_version]_2025-07-07_21-57-21.zip (1.6 MB)

Thanks in advance for your help!

2

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

I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot the issue with flashing your Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Developer Kit using SDK Manager.

Based on the information you provided, here are some potential causes and solutions:

  1. Host machine requirements: Ensure that your host machine meets the requirements for flashing the Jetson device. According to the documentation, the host machine should use NetworkManager to configure the network for flashing. You can check if NetworkManager is installed and running on your host machine by running the command systemctl status NetworkManager.
  2. USB-C cable quality: The documentation mentions that a high-quality USB-C cable is required for flashing. Try using a different USB-C cable to rule out any issues with the cable.
  3. Automount: The documentation states that automount must be temporarily disabled for the new external storage device during flashing. You can try stopping the udisks2 service on your host machine by running the command systemctl stop udisks2.service.
  4. Dependencies: Ensure that the required dependencies are installed on your host machine. The documentation lists the following dependencies: libxml2-utils, simg2img, network-manager, abootimg, sshpass, and device-tree-compiler. You can install these dependencies by running the command sudo apt install libxml2-utils simg2img network-manager abootimg sshpass device-tree-compiler.
  5. NVMe SSD detection: Ensure that the NVMe SSD is correctly detected by the host machine. You can check if the SSD is detected by running the command lsblk.
  6. SDK Manager version: You’ve tried using both JetPack 5.1.3 and 6.2.1, but it’s possible that there’s an issue with the SDK Manager version. You can try using a different version of SDK Manager or reinstalling the current version.
  7. Firewall and NFS services: You’ve already tried disabling the firewall and ensuring that no other NFS services are running, but it’s possible that there’s still an issue with the firewall or NFS services. You can try configuring the firewall to allow incoming connections on the required ports or disabling NFS services altogether.
  8. Recovery mode: Ensure that the Jetson device is in recovery mode and that the USB connection is stable. You can try restarting the Jetson device and re-entering recovery mode.
  9. Flash wizard: Ensure that you’ve selected the correct storage device (NVMe SSD) in the Flash wizard. You can try re-running the Flash wizard and selecting the NVMe SSD again.
  10. CLI flashing: You’ve tried flashing via CLI, but it’s possible that there’s an issue with the CLI command or the environment variables. You can try re-running the CLI command with the --verbose flag to get more detailed output.

Comparing your issue to similar questions, I found a few potential solutions that you can try:

  • One user reported a similar issue with flashing a Jetson AGX Xavier device and resolved it by disabling the firewall and ensuring that no other NFS services were running.
  • Another user reported a similar issue with flashing a Jetson Nano device and resolved it by using a different USB-C cable and ensuring that the device was in recovery mode.

To further troubleshoot the issue, I recommend trying the following:

  • Run the Flash wizard with the --verbose flag to get more detailed output.
  • Check the SDK Manager logs for any error messages or warnings.
  • Try flashing the device using a different host machine or a different version of SDK Manager.
  • Try using a different NVMe SSD or a different storage device.

I hope this helps you troubleshoot the issue and successfully flash your Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Developer Kit using SDK Manager.

4

Hi,

Please confirm you connect type-c to the opposite to the power barrel.

Do you use the lsusb to check whether in recovery mode?
The result will like this Quick Start — NVIDIA Jetson Linux Developer Guide 1 documentation

Thanks

5

I followed the official guide at Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit User Guide - Two Ways to Set Up Software | NVIDIA Developer. The tutorial says to plug the USB interface into port 10, which I believe is what you referred to as “the opposite to the power barrel.”

In fact, my problem is that the flash step begins normally. I boot the Jetson device into Recovery Mode and connect it to my host, at which point it’s recognized as “NVIDIA APX.” But when the flash progress reaches about 80–90%, it suddenly fails, and the Jetson exits Recovery Mode and is then recognized as “NVIDIA Linux for Tegra” by the host. I just tried again and the result is the same.

SDKM_logs_JetPack_6.2.1_Linux_for_Jetson_AGX_Orin_64GB_2025-07-08_08-14-34.zip (1.6 MB)

I’ve tried changing my host OS from Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04, switching between JetPack 5.1.3 and 6.2.1, disabling the firewall, and using different USB ports, but none of it helped. I’m using the official NVIDIA USB-C cable that came with the AGX Orin.

Flashing to the eMMC works fine, but what I really want is to flash onto the NVMe SSD.

6

I just tried again, and the issue happens during Step 3: “Start the Flash Processing.” As soon as this step begins, the Jetson AGX Orin reboots and appears to exit Recovery Mode—because it’s no longer recognized as “NVIDIA APX” but as “NVIDIA Linux for Tegra.” The SDK Manager terminal then continuously displays “Waiting for target to boot-up”.

And after a while it reports the flash as failed. I even tried manually putting the Jetson AGX Orin back into Recovery Mode at that point, but it still just repeats “Waiting for target to boot-up.”

7

I finally read a few more forum threads and combined the approaches from these two to resolve the issue:

  1. Jetson Orin Dev-kit: Failing flash when nvme storage device is selected - #19 by RDobitz
    This thread mentions that if the Jetson AGX Orin is connected to a monitor via DisplayPort, the flash will hit the “Waiting for target boot-up” hang I described.

  2. Failing to Boot into NVMe after Flashing
    This thread explains you must adjust VMware’s system-wide USB passthrough settings.

I also tried the other suggestions I’d seen—disabling the firewall, upgrading my host to Ubuntu 22.04, and even though I was using the Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB Developer Kit it initially showed up as the 64 GB Module (so I left it set to Module)—and eventually I was able to successfully flash it onto the SSD.

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