jetflash: flash a Jetson Orin Nano with Ubuntu 22.04 from Docker

This repo is a single Ubuntu 22.04 container plus one script, jetflash.sh. You plug in a Jetson Orin Nano in recovery mode, and the script detects it and flashes JetPack 6.2.3 (Ubuntu 22.04) to the NVMe SSD.

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1. Which version to flash

Item	Version	Notes
JetPack	6.2.3	The newest JetPack that ships Ubuntu 22.04. Released Aug 2026.
Jetson Linux (L4T)	R36.5.2	The OS/BSP inside JetPack 6.2.3. This is the default L4T_VERSION.
Ubuntu (on the Jetson)	22.04 LTS	NVIDIA's sample root filesystem is based on 22.04 (Jammy).
Linux kernel	5.15
Host/container OS	Ubuntu 22.04	A supported flashing host for R36 (the container gives you this on any distro).
Board config	jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super	Super Mode (up to 67 TOPS) is supported since JetPack 6.2.

Why not something else?

• JetPack 7.x (L4T R39.x) supports Orin from 7.2 onward, but it is Ubuntu 24.04 with kernel 6.8, so it is the wrong choice if you need Ubuntu 22.04.
• JetPack 5.x (L4T R35.x) is Ubuntu 20.04.
• Older JetPack 6 releases all use Ubuntu 22.04 and work here. Set L4T_VERSION to choose one:

JetPack	L4T	Released
6.2.3	36.5.2	Aug 2026 (default, recommended)
6.2.2	36.5.0	Feb 2026
6.2.1	36.4.4	Jun 2025
6.2	36.4.3	Jan 2025
6.1	36.4	Sep 2024
6.0	36.3	May 2024

Downloads used by the script (fetched automatically):

• https://developer.nvidia.com/downloads/embedded/l4t/r36_release_v5.2/releases/Jetson_Linux_r36.5.2_aarch64.tbz2
• https://developer.nvidia.com/downloads/embedded/l4t/r36_release_v5.2/releases/Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_r36.5.2_aarch64.tbz2

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2. What you need

• A Linux PC (x86_64) with Docker and Docker Compose v2.
• About 40 GB of free disk space for the BSP, the rootfs and the flash images.
• Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit carrier with an Orin Nano (4GB/8GB) or Orin NX (8GB/16GB) module and an M.2 NVMe SSD installed. Third-party carriers (Seeed reComputer and others) need the maker's own BSP.
• A USB-C data cable. Some cables only carry power and will not work.
• A jumper wire for recovery mode.

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3. Files

File	Purpose
Dockerfile	Ubuntu 22.04 image with all of NVIDIA's host-side flashing dependencies.
docker-compose.yml	Privileged container with /dev passthrough and host networking. Mounts ./workspace.
jetflash.sh	The single script that does everything (see below).
workspace/	Created automatically. Holds the downloads and the prepared BSP. Wiped and rebuilt on every run.

What jetflash.sh does:

1. Sets up qemu-aarch64 and starts the NFS server the flash needs.
2. Every run: deletes the previous downloads and BSP, downloads L4T R36.5.2 and the Ubuntu 22.04 rootfs fresh, then runs apply_binaries.sh. It can optionally create a user on the Jetson.
3. Waits until a Jetson in recovery mode appears on USB: 0955:7523 = Orin Nano 8GB, 0955:7623 = Orin Nano 4GB, 0955:7323 = Orin NX 16GB, 0955:7423 = Orin NX 8GB. All of them use the same jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super config on the dev kit carrier.
4. Wipes the target drive completely with --erase-all. NVIDIA's flash tool runs blkdiscard on the whole NVMe SSD, which erases every partition and all data on it. Then it creates a fresh partition table.
5. Runs l4t_initrd_flash.sh to flash the QSPI bootloader and Ubuntu 22.04 to the NVMe SSD.

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4. One-time host setup

# NFS kernel module: the flash boots the Jetson over USB networking with an NFS rootfs
sudo modprobe nfsd
echo nfsd | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/nfsd.conf     # optional: load it on every boot

# Optional but recommended: stop the desktop from auto-mounting the Jetson's disks mid-flash
sudo systemctl stop udisks2

Build the image:

cd jetflash
docker compose build

Container login

The container runs as a normal (non-root) user that has passwordless sudo. jetflash.sh switches to root automatically.

Username	Password
jetflash	jetflash

To change them, edit ARG USERNAME / ARG PASSWORD in the Dockerfile and rebuild, or run docker compose build --build-arg USERNAME=me --build-arg PASSWORD=secret.

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5. Flash the Jetson

Step 1: Start the script

docker compose run --rm jetflash

Optional: to create a login user on the Jetson and skip its first-boot setup wizard, run this instead:

JETSON_USER=me JETSON_PASS='secret' JETSON_HOST=orin docker compose run --rm jetflash

Every run downloads about 2 GB fresh and prepares the rootfs, which takes 10–30 minutes. When the script prints Waiting for a Jetson Orin Nano in recovery mode..., move on to step 2.

Step 2: Put the Jetson into recovery mode

1. Power off the Jetson.
2. Connect FC REC to GND with the jumper. On the dev kit's button header under the module, these are pins 9 and 10.
3. Connect the USB-C port on the Jetson to your PC.
4. Plug in power.

The script detects the board automatically and starts flashing. Flashing takes about 10–20 minutes.

⚠️ Everything on the Jetson's SSD is erased (or on the SD card or USB drive if you chose sd or usb). There is no confirmation prompt. Back up anything you need first.

Step 3: Finish

When you see Flash complete:

1. Remove the jumper.
2. Unplug the USB-C cable.
3. Power-cycle the Jetson.

It boots Ubuntu 22.04 from the NVMe SSD. Unless you set JETSON_USER/JETSON_PASS, the setup wizard runs on first boot (with a monitor and keyboard attached).

Check the version on the Jetson:

cat /etc/nv_tegra_release    # expect: R36 (release), REVISION: 5.2
lsb_release -a               # expect: Ubuntu 22.04

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6. Options

How	Effect
docker compose run --rm jetflash jetflash.sh sd	Flash a microSD card instead of NVMe (usb = USB drive).
docker compose run --rm jetflash jetflash.sh nvme jetson-orin-nano-devkit	Use the original (non-Super) power modes.
L4T_VERSION=36.4.4 docker compose run --rm jetflash	Flash a different JetPack 6 release (see the table in section 1).
LOOP=1 docker compose run --rm jetflash	After each flash, wait for the next Jetson and flash it too.
docker compose run --rm jetflash bash	Open a shell in the container as jetflash for debugging (sudo -i for root).

Each run starts from scratch, so a new user or version takes effect on the next run. With LOOP=1, the files are downloaded once at the start and reused for every board flashed in that session.

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7. Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Script waits forever	Run lsusb on the host. You should see 0955:7323, 7423, 7523 or 7623. If not, check the jumper, use a USB-C data cable, and try a different port (avoid hubs).
host kernel has no nfsd	Run sudo modprobe nfsd on the host.
Flash stalls at "Waiting for target to boot-up"	Stop udisks2 (section 4). Check that no firewall (ufw/firewalld) blocks NFS on usb0/l4tbr0. Re-enter recovery mode and retry.
nvme0n1p1 not found	The SSD is not detected. Reseat it in the M.2 slot (Key M, 2280).
Flash fails on a board that came with very old firmware (JetPack 5.x)	Flashing with this tool also updates the QSPI firmware, so a full retry usually works. Power-cycle the board in recovery mode and run again.
NFS server is not running / clnt_create: RPC: Timed out	Something else held the RPC port (111). The script now resets RPC before each flash; just re-run it. If it reports port 111 in use, stop the host's own NFS (sudo systemctl stop rpcbind rpcbind.socket nfs-server).
another jetflash run is already active	Only one run at a time; a second run would wipe the first one's files. Stop the other one with docker ps --filter name=jetflash then docker stop <name>.
Please install the Secureboot package...	Harmless. NVIDIA prints it but continues. Only matters for boards with secure-boot fuses burned.
Want to inspect logs	Logs are in workspace/r36.5.2/Linux_for_Tegra/initrdlog/.

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8. Security note

The container runs privileged with the host's /dev and host networking. The Jetson re-enumerates as different USB devices and a network interface during flashing, so this access is required. Only run the container while you are flashing.

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Sources

• Jetson Linux archive (all L4T versions)
• Jetson Linux R36.5.2 release page
• JetPack 6.2.3 / Jetson Linux 36.5.2 announcement
• JetPack 6.2.2 / Jetson Linux 36.5 announcement
• JetPack 7.2 / Jetson Linux 39.2 release notes (Ubuntu 24.04)