NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor - Flashing the Board from USB

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NVIDIA®Jetson AGX Thor™
Introduction
SoM Overview Carrier Boards NVIDIA Developer Kit Auvidea X241 Connect Tech Gauntlet
JetPack 7.0
Getting Started Installing JetPack Flashing the Board with GUI Installer JetPack Components Compiling Kernel and DTB Flashing the Board from Command Line Flashing the Board from USB Performance Tuning Evaluating Performance Set Values Manually Tuning Power Maximizing Performance
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Board Access Methods Using Serial Console Using SSH Using Ubuntu Login Installing Packages
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Holoscan
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This section explains how to install JetPack 7.0 (Jetson Linux BSP) on the Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit using a bootable USB drive.

This process, introduced in JetPack 7.0, enables standalone installation of Jetson Linux directly from USB, removing the need for a host Ubuntu machine for flashing.

Requirements

• A PC or laptop (Windows, Linux, or macOS) with at least 25 GB of free storage.
• A USB flash drive with a minimum 16 GB capacity.

Note

Note: The first installation requires a PC to create the USB installer. After that, you can simply reuse the USB stick to install Jetson Linux on other AGX Thor units.

Installation Steps

1. Download the Jetson Linux ISO

Visit the JetPack Download Page and click on "Download JetPack ISO Image".

2. Create the Bootable USB Drive

Use a flashing tool such as Balena Etcher or Rufus to write the ISO to the USB drive.

1. Plug in the USB stick.
2. Launch the tool and select the downloaded ISO.
3. Flash it to the USB drive.

Warning

Warning: This will erase all data on the USB drive.

3. Connect and Prepare the Developer Kit

You can use either of the following modes:

• Monitor-Attached – Connect HDMI or DisplayPort, USB keyboard/mouse, and the USB stick. Power on the board to begin graphical installation.
• Headless Mode – Connect the Debug UART (USB-to-serial) cable to a host PC. This provides console access without a monitor. Note that the Debug-USB port is behind the lid cover, which has to be physically removed in order to access the port.

Warning

Warning: UEFI firmware v38.0.0 (factory default) has known serial display issues in headless mode. See Serial Console Display Issues in Headless Mode below.

4. Boot from USB and Install to NVMe

Ensure the USB stick is connected. Power on the Jetson AGX Thor. The device should default to booting from USB.

Follow the guided installation to flash Jetson Linux (BSP) to the internal NVMe SSD. The installation process should take less than 15 minutes.

Note

Note: If re-installing on a previously used board, see Re-enabling USB Boot below.

5. Boot from NVMe and Complete First Boot

After flashing, remove the USB stick and reboot. The board will boot from NVMe.

Complete the initial configuration steps via the oem-config wizard (language, keyboard, user creation, etc.).

Note

Note: For headless mode connect a USB cable from your PC to a Jetson's regular USB-C port (not the Debug-USB). You should see a L4T-README drive mounted, launch a terminal and open the device. You should see a CUI oem-config screen on the terminal.

Known Issues and Workarounds

Re-enabling USB Boot on a Used Kit

After the first installation, the UEFI firmware automatically sets SOC Display Hand-Off to Neverand changes SOC Display Hand-Off Method too, which disables USB boot visuals on future reboots.

To restore USB installation capability:

1. Enter UEFI setup (press `ESC` during boot).
2. Navigate to the SOC Display Hand-Off Mode setting (Device Manager -> NVIDIA Configuration -> Boot configuration)
3. Change it from Never to Auto.
4. Continue to SOC Display Hand-Off Method and set it to efifb.
5. Save and exit.
6. Reset

Serial Console Display Issues in Headless Mode

Firmware version 38.0.0 has known issues rendering text via the serial console (Debug UART) during boot and installation. You may encounter garbled or missing text.

Workarounds include:

• Use the monitor-attached method for installation.
• Update to a newer UEFI firmware if available.
• Follow the guide at NVIDIA's Headless installation on UEFI 38.0.0

Note

Note: For more in depth instructions and troubleshooting refer to NVIDIA's official guide