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Ajeet Singh Raina
Ajeet Singh Raina

Install JetPack Without NVIDIA SDK Manager

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to install NVIDIA JetPack on your Jetson device without using the NVIDIA SDK Manager. This approach is helpful for developers facing issues with SDK Manager or those looking to streamline and automate their NVIDIA JetPack development process.

Why Install Without SDK Manager?

  • Troubleshooting: Sometimes, SDK Manager might not work on certain systems due to compatibility issues.
  • Automation: Bypassing SDK Manager enables you to automate the installation process.
  • Custom Workflows: Gain full control over the installation process for custom configurations.

Steps to Install JetPack Without SDK Manager

Step 1: Create a Workspace Folder

If you were using SDK Manager, it would create the workspace folder at ~/nvidia/nvidia_sdk by default. For consistency, we’ll use the same directory structure:

export NVIDIA_WORKSPACE="~/nvidia/nvidia_sdk/"
mkdir -p $NVIDIA_WORKSPACE
cd $NVIDIA_WORKSPACE
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Step 2: Set Up a Directory for NVIDIA JetPack

Organize your workspace by creating a dedicated directory for your JetPack version. This helps in maintaining a clean environment.

Export the desired JetPack version as an environment variable:

export JETPACK_VERSION="6.0"
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Create a directory for JetPack:

export JETPACK_DIR=$NVIDIA_WORKSPACE/$JETPACK_VERSION
mkdir -p $JETPACK_DIR
cd $JETPACK_DIR
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Step 3: Download NVIDIA JetPack

Go to the NVIDIA JetPack Archive and locate your desired JetPack version.

For example, for JetPack 6.0:

  • Download the L4T Driver Package (BSP).
  • Download the Sample Root Filesystem.

Step 4: Move the Downloaded Files to the JetPack Directory

Move the downloaded files into the JetPack directory:

mv ~/Downloads/Jetson_Linux_R36.3.0_aarch64.tbz2 $JETPACK_DIR/
mv ~/Downloads/Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R36.3.0_aarch64.tbz2 $JETPACK_DIR/
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Step 5: Extract the L4T Driver Package

Ensure you’re inside the JetPack directory:

cd $JETPACK_DIR
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Extract the L4T Driver Package:

sudo tar -jxf Jetson_Linux_R36.3.0_aarch64.tbz2
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Step 6: Extract the Sample Root Filesystem

Navigate to the Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs directory:

cd $JETPACK_DIR/Linux_for_Tegra
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Extract the Sample Root Filesystem:

sudo tar -C rootfs/ -xjf ../Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R36.3.0_aarch64.tbz2
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Step 7: Apply Binaries

Navigate to the Linux_for_Tegra directory:

cd $JETPACK_DIR/Linux_for_Tegra
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Run the apply_binaries script:

sudo ./apply_binaries
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Step 8: Flash the NVIDIA Jetson Board

For this example, let’s assume you are flashing an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano.

Put your board in Recovery Mode:

  • Turn off the board.
  • Press and hold the RECOVERY button while powering it on.
  • Connect the board to your host PC via USB.

Flash the board: 

./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --external-device nvme0n1p1 \
    -c tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_external.xml \
    -p "-c bootloader/generic/cfg/flash_t234_qspi.xml" \
    --showlogs --network usb0 jetson-orin-nano-devkit internal
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