Upgrade Software Packages for Jetson
How can I upgrade software packages if you told me that I cannot execute apt upgrade? Will there be security risks if I don't upgrade the software?
A: Do not run sudo apt upgrade or sudo apt full-upgrade on a Seeed Jetson image. A normal application update is fine, but an unattended NVIDIA upgrade can replace the Seeed nvidia-l4t kernel, device tree, and driver packages with NVIDIA stock packages. The device may then fail to boot, or carrier-board peripherals may stop working.
For application packages that do not depend on nvidia-l4t, install only the package you need:
sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install <your-package>
For most open-source software, another safe option is to download the source and build it yourself. A full Seeed BSP or JetPack image is still the preferred way to update the kernel, bootloader, and carrier-board drivers together.
Repair a mistaken nvidia-l4t upgrade
Repair packages are available for the two JetPack releases that do not already contain the apt protection:
| JetPack | Jetson Linux | Repair package |
|---|---|---|
| JetPack 5.1.3 | R35.5.0 | seeed-jetson-linux-r35.5.0-bsp_fix-bundle-1.zip |
| JetPack 6.2 | R36.4.3 | seeed-jetson-linux-r36.4.3-bsp_fix-bundle.zip |
JetPack 7 and later Seeed firmware already holds the NVIDIA kernel and driver packages, so apt cannot replace them by mistake. There is no repair package for those releases. If a JetPack 7 or later system is already damaged, reflash the matching Seeed image.
Run the repair on the Jetson itself, and use only the package that matches cat /etc/nv_tegra_release. The script restores Seeed kernel and driver packages. It does not install the bootloader package unless you explicitly add --with-bootloader.
JetPack 5.1.3 / L4T R35.5.0
Confirm the release first:
cat /etc/nv_tegra_release
The first line must contain R35 (release), REVISION: 5. Download seeed-jetson-linux-r35.5.0-bsp_fix-bundle-1.zip, copy it to the Jetson, and run:
unzip -o seeed-jetson-linux-r35.5.0-bsp_fix-bundle-1.zip
cd seeed-jetson-linux-r35.5.0-bsp-bundle
sudo ./seeed-linux-bsp-repair.sh
sudo reboot
Add --with-bootloader only when the bootloader itself must be repaired. After reboot, check the restored packages:
dpkg -l nvidia-l4t-kernel nvidia-l4t-kernel-dtbs nvidia-l4t-kernel-headers nvidia-l4t-display-kernel
cat /etc/nv_boot_control.conf
dpkg --audit
The four packages should be installed or held, and their versions should contain +seeed1. dpkg --audit should print nothing. The repair log is /var/log/seeed-linux-bsp-r35.5.0-repair.log.
JetPack 6.2 / L4T R36.4.3
Confirm the release first:
cat /etc/nv_tegra_release
The output must contain R36 and REVISION: 4.3. Download seeed-jetson-linux-r36.4.3-bsp_fix-bundle.zip, copy it to the Jetson, and run:
unzip -o seeed-jetson-linux-r36.4.3-bsp_fix-bundle.zip
cd seeed-jetson-linux-r36.4.3-bsp-bundle
sudo ./seeed-linux-bsp-repair.sh
sudo reboot
If the script cannot identify the carrier board, stop and rerun it with the Seeed product name:
sudo ./seeed-linux-bsp-repair.sh --board recomputer-orin-super-j401
Replace recomputer-orin-super-j401 with the name of the Seeed carrier or product being repaired. Use --auto only when the detected board name is already correct and the command must run without interaction. Add --with-bootloader only when firmware repair is required. The R36.4.3 repair package does not contain an Orin Super bootloader capsule, so check the module and firmware before using that option on Orin Super hardware.
After reboot, check:
dpkg -l nvidia-l4t-kernel nvidia-l4t-kernel-dtbs nvidia-l4t-kernel-headers nvidia-l4t-kernel-oot-modules nvidia-l4t-display-kernel
uname -r
dpkg --audit
The package versions should contain +seeed1, and uname -r should report 5.15.148-tegra. The repair log is /var/log/seeed-linux-bsp-r36.4.3-repair.log, and the script backup is /opt/nvidia/l4t-packages/seeed-r36.4.3-repair-backup.
Tech Support & Product Discussion
Thank you for choosing our products! We are here to provide you with different support to ensure that your experience with our products is as smooth as possible. We offer several communication channels to cater to different preferences and needs.