NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor - Flashing the Board from Command Line
 | The NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor documentation from RidgeRun is presently being developed. |
This section describes the command-line workflows available to flash the Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit using JetPack 7.0. Flashing installs the Linux for Tegra OS image, bootloader, and optional SDK components into the selected storage device (NVMe).
Flashing Methods Overview
Jetson AGX Thor supports the following three methods for flashing:
| Method | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initrd-based flash | Modern method using l4t_initrd_flash.sh to generate and deploy prebuilt images |
Automatically applies binaries and handles default user setup |
| Convenient SDK wrapper | Simplified flashing via nvsdkmanager_flash.sh script |
Wraps the full SDK Manager workflow and auto-detects devices |
| Standard flash.sh | Manual control over image flashing using flash.sh |
Requires apply_binaries.sh if used
|
Assumptions
- You have JetPack 7.0 installed on your host in the default directory.
- You have not manually moved OS components or modified the JetPack installation paths.
Step 1: Set Up Environment
export DEVDIR=$HOME/nvidia/nvidia_sdk/JetPack_7.0_Linux_JETSON_AGX_THOR_TARGETS/Linux_for_Tegra cd $DEVDIR
Step 2: Put the Board in Recovery Mode
To flash Jetson Thor, it must be placed in Force Recovery Mode. Use the following steps and Figure 1:
- Ensure the device is connected to the power adapter, but powered off.
- Connect USB-C cable between your host computer and Thor's USB-C port.
- Press and hold the middle button (Force Recovery).
- While holding the Force Recovery button, press and hold the left button (Power).
- Release both buttons.
To verify the device is in recovery mode, run:
lsusb
If Jetson Thor is in recovery mode, you'll see a line like:
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 0955:7026 NVIDIA Corp. APX
Step 3: Run Flash Prerequisites
Install the flash prerequisites:
sudo ./tools/l4t_flash_prerequisites.sh
Flashing Method 1: Using `l4t_initrd_flash.sh` (Recommended)
This is the preferred and most robust method for Jetson AGX Thor.
sudo ./l4t_initrd_flash.sh jetson-agx-thor-devkit internal
This command will:
- Prepare and flash the root filesystem image
- Apply NVIDIA binaries automatically
At the end of the process you should see the following message in your terminal:
[flash_bsp_jetson-t264]: Flashing finished Successfully!!
Optional Variants
Generate image without flashing:
sudo ./l4t_initrd_flash.sh --no-flash jetson-agx-thor-devkit internal
Then flash it later:
sudo ./l4t_initrd_flash.sh --flash-only jetson-agx-thor-devkit internal
Advanced Options
Mass flash multiple units:
sudo ./l4t_initrd_flash.sh --massflash 2 jetson-agx-thor-devkit internal
Use --keep or --reuse to avoid regenerating the image for every device.
Flashing Method 2: Using `nvsdkmanager_flash.sh`
This is a simplified wrapper around the full SDK Manager CLI flash process.
Flash with One Command
sudo ./nvsdkmanager_flash.sh
- Automatically detects Thor in recovery mode
- Flashes to internal NVMe
- Handles user creation and binary injection internally
Flashing Method 3: Using `flash.sh` (Manual)
This workflow provides full control but requires additional steps.
Apply Proprietary Binaries
sudo ./apply_binaries.sh
(Optional) Predefine Default User
sudo ./tools/l4t_create_default_user.sh -u <user_name> -p <password>
If this step is skipped, the system will prompt for OEM configuration at first boot.
Flash to NVMe
sudo ./flash.sh jetson-agx-thor-devkit nvme0n1p1
Flash Script Help
To see all available arguments:
./flash.sh -h