How to Setup NVIDIA Jetson SDK Manager, VNC, Headless Setup

Introduction

This tutorial guides you through the process of setting up the NVIDIA Jetson SDK Manager, configuring VNC for remote access, and establishing a headless setup using the Linux terminal. This approach is ideal for users who want to manage their Jetson devices, like the Orin Nano, without a monitor, providing flexibility for remote troubleshooting and development.

Step 1: Install the NVIDIA SDK Manager

1. Download the NVIDIA SDK Manager from the NVIDIA Developer website.
2. Install the SDK Manager on your host PC by following the on-screen instructions.
3. Launch the SDK Manager and log in with your NVIDIA Developer account.

Step 2: Connect Your Jetson Device

1. Prepare your Jetson device by placing it in recovery mode:
   • Use a jumper and a data cable to connect the device to your host PC.
2. Once connected, the SDK Manager will detect your Jetson device.
3. Select the appropriate JetPack version for your device.

Step 3: Configure Your Target Device

1. Input your user credentials for the Jetson device.
2. Choose the storage option (e.g., NVMe) for the installation.
3. Proceed with flashing the JetPack onto the Jetson device.

Step 4: Set Up Wi-Fi via SSH

1. After flashing, connect to the Jetson device using SSH.
2. Use the nmcli command to list available Wi-Fi networks:

   nmcli device wifi list
   

3. Connect to your desired Wi-Fi network using the following command:

   nmcli device wifi connect "Your_SSID" password "Your_Password"
   

4. For advanced users, the iw command can be used for scanning Wi-Fi networks:

   iw dev wlan0 scan
   

Step 5: Install and Configure VNC

1. Install TightVNC server on your Jetson device:

   sudo apt-get install tightvncserver
   

2. Start the TightVNC server on display :1:

   tightvncserver :1
   

3. Set a password when prompted, then stop the server:

   tightvncserver -kill :1
   

Step 6: Install a Lightweight Desktop Environment

1. Install XFCE and its goodies to provide a lightweight GUI:

   sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies
   

2. Edit the VNC startup script located in .vnc/xstartup:
   • Open the file in a text editor:

     nano ~/.vnc/xstartup
     

   • Add the following line to launch XFCE:

     startxfce4 &
     

3. Make the startup script executable:

   chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
   

4. Restart the VNC server:

   tightvncserver :1
   

Step 7: Configure GUI Authentication for VNC

1. To resolve missing authentication dialogs, install policykit-1-gnome:

   sudo apt-get install policykit-1-gnome
   

2. Add the PolicyKit agent to your VNC startup script by editing .vnc/xstartup:

   # Add this line before startxfce4 &
   /usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1 &
   

Step 8: Optional - Passwordless Administrative Actions

1. To disable password prompts in VNC, create a custom PolicyKit rule:
   • Create a new file:

     sudo nano /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/10-nopassword.pkla
     

   • Add the following content:

     [Enable passwordless sudo for nvidia group]
     Identity=unix-group:nvidia
     Action=*
     ResultActive=yes
     

2. After saving the file, reboot your device.

Conclusion

You've successfully set up the NVIDIA Jetson SDK Manager, configured VNC for remote access, and established a headless setup using the terminal. This configuration allows you to manage your Jetson devices efficiently and troubleshoot remotely. For further exploration, consider experimenting with additional software packages or delve deeper into Jetson-specific projects.