unable install any JetPacks Jetson TX2

I’m cabling some standard micro-USB — USB cable between Jetson TX2 and HOST=Ubuntu 16.04 DELL Precision 5520 Notebook with 3.0 USB-connector
I’# install all necessary software in host:

tar xpf ./Tegra186_Linux_R28.2.0_aarch64.tbz2
$sudo tar xpf …/…/Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R28.2.0_aarch64.tbz2
$sudo flash.sh jetson-tx2 mmcblk0p1

I’ve press RC-Btn and shortly also Rest-button and now I can see output from
$lsusb -d 0955:7c18
Bus 001 Device 062: ID 0955:7c18 NVidia Corp.

afterthat: $sudo ./flash.sh jetson-tx2 mmcblk0p1

It always failed (with and w/o usb-2.0 hub) with the same error:

###############################################################################

L4T BSP Information:

R28 (release), REVISION: 2.0, GCID: 10567845, BOARD: t186ref, EABI: aarch64,

DATE: Fri Mar 2 04:57:01 UTC 2018

###############################################################################
Error: probing the target board failed.
Make sure the target board is connected through
micro-B USB port and is in recovery mode.

What’s wrong?

You should use the specific USB cable[micro-B] for flashing , and you should put jetson in recovery mode.
Could you execute at the HOST PC

lsusb

and verify you can see NVIDIA device ?

He already showed that he can see the device:

$lsusb -d 0955:7c18
Bus 001 Device 062: ID 0955:7c18 NVidia Corp.

Thank you for pointing that out!

It seems that device is connected somehow and in recovery mode.
What is the return of

uname -a

at HOST PC?

$uname -a
Linux abcd-Precision-5520 4.4.0-116-generic #140-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 12 21:23:04 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

could you also provide output of

cat /etc/*release

?

Is the cable you used the micro-B USB supplied with the kit?

I can see an alike case here : https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/topic/1029740/jetson-tx-2-fail-to-flash-ubuntu-16-jetpack-3-1-3-2/

$ cat /etc/*release

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=“Ubuntu 16.04 LTS”
NAME=“Ubuntu”
VERSION=“16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus)”
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME=“Ubuntu 16.04 LTS”
VERSION_ID=“16.04”
HOME_URL=“http://www.ubuntu.com/
SUPPORT_URL=“http://help.ubuntu.com/
BUG_REPORT_URL=“http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/
UBUNTU_CODENAME=xenial

Could you approach flashing jetson from a different PC ?

I am guessing it is the cable. Most “standard micro-USB” are not valid cables…many are intended only for charging (some don’t even have the data wire). If the cable is not the one which came with the Jetson, then the cable is very likely the issue.

  • flashing jetson from a different PC*
    Yes, I’ll try to use VM, it’s not so fast, wait little bit

Don’t use a VM…this will fail.

Hmm, in our office we have only new Ubuntu-16.04 notebooks with usb-3.0.
I’ll try to pick up my old PC-notebok with USB-2.0 and Windows-7 from home.
And install Ubuntu-14 VM and try to forward USB form Win to VM.

Isn’t that the best choice?

P.S.: Unfortunately we’ve lost the original USB-cabel form NVIDIA :(

It is a topical question, indeed: “how can we get a spare parts for the devkit”?
For example my devkit video sensor omnivisin got detached and while I was attaching it back the thin cable got damaged and it wont work anymore.
Is there a way to get somehow original substitutions for small components of devkit?
At the devkit omnivision I see the name “p5v27c | SUNNY| A1653”
While at amazon I can find “p5v03e | SUNNY| A1252”
Seems to exist at ebay
The most close hit is ebay. It has name “p5v27c | SUNNY| A1627”
But not sure if they will fit for substitution.

Bad day.
After unsucessly flash, TX2 not booting anymore.
What shall I do? Can I reset to factory mode? Or find boot some ISO-image from SSD card, or what?

Yes, you can set Jetson again to recovery mode and attempt re-flashing again, but you would rather use provided with devkit mini usb type B cable that you do not have.

Your Ubuntu 16.04 native install laptop should work. When the Jetson is in recovery mode it was mentioned that “lsusb” will show this device (“lsusb -d 0955:” will show all NVIDIA USB devices, “lsusb -d 0955:7c18” will specifically show a TX2). Do you have the developer kit USB cable? This is a known good micro-B USB (beware that a micro-A will also fit in that port and won’t work…charger cables typically are low quality micro-A and will cause problems if not advertised as being useful for data).

Get a new micro-B cable…if it just says it is “OTG” don’t get it. Some OTG are in fact micro-B…many are…but some might be micro-A…and any cable not specifically stating this could have been badly manufactured and only tested as a charger cable.

Simplify and just use command line directly for flash…this makes it easier to get logs. Here is a copy of some command line flash information…which works from any x86_64 Linux PC, not just Ubuntu (adjusted for R28.2)…

Unpack the driver package (creates “Linux_for_Tegra” subdirectory):

tar xjvf Tegra186_Linux_R28.2.0_aarch64.tbz2
# cd into "Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs", use sudo to unpack the sample rootfs:
sudo tar xjvf ../wherever/it/is/Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R28.2.0_aarch64.tbz2
# cd back up one directory to the "Linux_for_Tegra" directory ("cd ..").
sudo ./apply_binaries.sh

Verify you still have enough disk space of type ext4, perhaps 35GB:

df -H -T .

Put the Jetson in recovery mode (hold the recovery button while powering on the Jetson or hitting reset for an already on Jetson, connect the micro-B USB cable to host). Verify host can see the Jetson…see output from this lsusb command:

lsusb -d 0955:7c18

Flash with sudo:

sudo ./flash.sh -S 29318MiB jetson-tx2 mmcblk0p1
# or if you want a log:
sudo ./flash.sh -S 29318MiB jetson-tx2 mmcblk0p1 2>&1 | tee log_flash.txt

EDIT: Note that maximum eMMC use is with “-S 29318MiB”.

This takes a lot of disk space and time. Be patient.

For reference the R28.2 downloads are at this URL (login might be required):
https://developer.nvidia.com/embedded/linux-tegra

Thank you for helping! I read that host has to be Ubuntu 14.04 with USB-2.0

But my new laptop HAS Ubuntu 16.04 and usb version 3.0. Isn’t it a problem?