Migrating from JetPack 6.x to JetPack 7.2.1

This page is for owners of a Jetson Orin Nano (Super) Developer Kit moving from JetPack 6.x to JetPack 7.2.1. New kits: start with Quick Start instead.

JetPack 7.2.1 is a large jump: plan for a full reflash, a firmware prerequisite, and some software rebuilds.

What changes

Layer	JetPack 6.x era	JetPack 7.2.1
Jetson Linux (L4T)	36.x (JetPack 6.2.3 = 36.5.2)	39.2.1
OS / root filesystem	Ubuntu 22.04	Ubuntu 24.04
Linux kernel	5.15	6.8
CUDA	12.6 (JetPack 6.2.3 = 12.6.10)	13.2.2
TensorRT	10.3.0	10.16.2
cuDNN	9.3.0	9.20.0
VPI	3.2	4.1.4

Juxi note: The 6.x column uses JetPack 6.2.3, the last production release of JetPack 6. Check your own versions with cat /etc/nv_tegra_release. The 7.2.1 VPI value is taken from NVIDIA's package repository rather than its download page, which still shows the JetPack 7.2 value — see the note on Verify Your System.

• No more SD-card images. "Starting with JetPack 7.2, SD Card images are no longer supported." The installer is one ISO for a USB stick; a microSD card is still a valid install target.
• A firmware prerequisite. JetPack 7.2 and later installations require JetPack 6.x-generation Jetson UEFI/QSPI firmware; kits with older factory firmware must complete the JetPack 6.x update path first. JetPack 7.0 and 7.1 list no Orin hardware, so 7.2 is the first 7.x release for the family.
• A different install flow. The ISO installs from a USB stick to microSD or NVMe on the device. It is install-only, not a "live USB".

Do not upgrade yet if...

• Your robot depends on Isaac ROS. The 7.2.1 component matrix lists Isaac ROS as "Coming soon", but NVIDIA staff state Isaac ROS 4.6 supports JetPack 7.2 — the sources disagree. See Robotics.
• Your camera code is pinned to the older SIPL API. SIPL API v2.0.0 in Jetson Linux 39.2.1 ships "breaking changes that affect API, ABI, JSON schema, package layout, and driver loading". A community report (not confirmed by NVIDIA) says the NITO camera configuration is now the default and the legacy NVCAMERA_NITO_PATH=CONFIG mode no longer works.
• You cannot re-validate your stack. CUDA 13 wheels, Python packages, and third-party libraries must exist for Ubuntu 24.04 and CUDA 13.2. NVIDIA's 7.2.1 pages list no Python or OpenCV versions; for CUDA 13.2 wheels, NVIDIA staff point to the Jetson AI Lab SBSA index — see Local LLMs.

What cannot be carried over — plan to rebuild

• TensorRT engines. TensorRT moves from 10.3.0 to 10.16.2. Serialized engines are tied to the TensorRT version. Rebuild on the target.
• CUDA binaries. CUDA moves from 12.6 to 13.2.2, a major jump. Do not expect CUDA 12.x binaries to carry over; rebuild with the new toolkit.
• Out-of-tree kernel modules. The kernel moves from 5.15 to 6.8. Rebuild modules against the new kernel headers.
• Camera drivers and device tree. SIPL 2.0 API and ABI changes apply (see above).
• Containers. Images built for JetPack 6 / L4T r36 stay on the old stack; the ISO ships NVIDIA Container Toolkit 1.19. NVIDIA staff state Orin Nano can now run mainstream Arm64 "arm64-SBSA" containers.
• Python environments. Ubuntu 24.04 uses a newer Python than 22.04. Recreate virtual environments; check python3 --version.

Migration checklist

1. Back up first. The install erases the target storage you select. Copy off the kit: application data, configuration files, camera calibration, container volumes, TensorRT build scripts and ONNX models, and custom driver or device-tree sources. Record versions with cat /etc/nv_tegra_release and apt list --installed | grep nvidia-jetpack.

2. Pass the firmware gate. Power on, press Esc repeatedly at the NVIDIA splash, and read the firmware version in the UEFI menu. Firmware 36.x or newer is ready for 7.2.1. If it is older than 36.0, first complete the "JetPack 6.x Update Path": boot the updated JetPack 5.1.3 SD-card image (JP513-orin-nano-sd-card-image_b29.zip) as a bridge, let it schedule the bootloader update, reboot, install the QSPI updater (sudo apt install nvidia-l4t-jetson-orin-nano-qspi-updater), reboot again. Expect several reboots; JetPack 6.2.x may schedule one more update after first boot. Units on BSP 36.2 / JetPack 5.0 DP must update to a later release first. Check the scheduling with sudo systemctl status nv-l4t-bootloader-config, and the firmware with sudo nvbootctrl dump-slots-info.

3. Create the installer USB. Write the r39.2.1 Jetson ISO to a USB flash drive (16 GB or larger) with Balena Etcher. Do not write the ISO to a microSD card. Install the target storage (microSD or NVMe) before booting — the installer only offers installed devices.

4. Install JetPack 7.2.1. Boot via the UEFI Boot Manager: press Esc at the splash, select Boot Manager, select the USB disk (NVIDIA recommends this explicit selection).

   Important — Press Y at the QSPI capsule update prompt within 30 seconds ("the most commonly missed step"). If it times out, the install fails later. The capsule update runs in two passes and may reboot the kit — this is expected.

   At the GRUB menu, select Install Jetson ISO r39.2.1, select the target storage, and confirm (the install erases the storage you select). Remove the USB stick after the install when prompted, then complete the Ubuntu initial setup (license, language, network, user) and run sudo apt update and sudo apt install nvidia-jetpack.

5. Confirm the Super profile. sudo /usr/sbin/nvpmodel -q lists the power modes; on the desktop, use the top bar: Power Mode, MAXN SUPER. With Super Mode enabled, cat /etc/nv_boot_control.conf shows a -super suffix in the TNSPEC line. If they are missing, read the next section.

6. Re-validate your workloads. Rebuild TensorRT engines and CUDA applications on the target. Recreate Python environments, update containers, re-test cameras. Run the checks on Verify Your System — for r39.2.1, cat /etc/nv_tegra_release should show R39, revision 2.1.

The Super-mode trap (fixed in 7.2.1)

On a 7.2.0 ISO install, the unit kept its existing board configuration: the 25W and MAXN SUPER power modes were missing, and sudo nvpmodel -m 2 failed with "bad power mode 2". NVIDIA documented this in the r39.2 release notes as issue 6279443: "Units will not default to 'Super' mode after the update. To use 'Super' mode, you must flash the target using a Linux host or SDKM." NVIDIA staff later called it an ISO bug, fixed in 7.2.1.

JetPack 7.2.1 flashes the Super configuration by default: "ISO now flashes the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit with Super Mode flashing configuration by default." Issue 6279443 is not in the r39.2.1 known-issues list.

Two caveats remain:

• Select the right target when flashing from a host. In SDK Manager, the target is "Jetson Orin Nano [8GB developer kit version]". With the flash script, use the jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super target, not the plain target, to enable Super modes. Example (Developer Guide, NVMe): sudo ./l4t_initrd_flash.sh --erase-all jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super internal.
• Re-installing 7.2.1 over an existing system. NVIDIA: "If you're re-installing JetPack 7.2.1 using ISO on an already installed system, please carefully follow the instructions in the Getting Started Guide." NVIDIA does not state whether a 7.2.1 re-install restores Super mode on a unit a 7.2.0 ISO left in non-Super; the documented route is a host flash with the Super configuration. Community in-place fixes (editing /etc/nv_boot_control.conf) are not endorsed by NVIDIA; one user reported a boot loop. See Troubleshooting.

Rollback

NVIDIA staff state: "Downgrade: Yes, you can flash back to JP 6.2.2 via SDK Manager if needed." A user confirmed the round trip (reflash to 6.2.2, then re-upgrade to 7.2). The cost, stated honestly:

• No in-place downgrade. It is a full reflash from an x86 Ubuntu host (official pages list Ubuntu hosts; NVIDIA staff also report the Windows SDK Manager works).
• The target storage is erased. Your backup is the only copy.
• Nothing more is guaranteed. NVIDIA publishes no downgrade procedure, and no document states that JetPack 6.x boot media is guaranteed to work with r39.2.x QSPI firmware. Treat a downgrade as a reinstall of the old stack, plus the same rebuild work.

If only the Super power modes are missing, the narrower fix is a host reflash with the Super configuration — that keeps 7.x. See Flashing & Updates.

Sources

• JetPack SDK Downloads — JetPack 7.2.1 — component matrix, SD-card removal, Super-mode default, re-install caution (checked 2026-09-26)
• Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit — Quick Start — ISO install flow, firmware gate, capsule prompt, MAXN SUPER (checked 2026-09-26)
• Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit — JetPack 6.x Update Path — firmware bridge, version checks (checked 2026-09-26)
• Jetson Linux 39.2.1 Release Notes (PDF) — GA status, SIPL 2.0 breaking changes (checked 2026-09-26)
• Jetson Linux 39.2 Release Notes (PDF) — issue 6279443, the Super-mode trap (checked 2026-09-26)
• JetPack 6.2.3 — JetPack 6.x baseline versions (checked 2026-09-26)
• NVIDIA developer forum — JetPack 7.2 GPU acceleration issue — NVIDIA staff: downgrade path and CUDA 13.2 wheel index (checked 2026-09-26)
• NVIDIA developer forum — 25W and MAXN SUPER not seen in JetPack 7.2 — NVIDIA staff and users: -super TNSPEC check, host reflash (checked 2026-09-26)

Status: draft, pending review by cheny. Grounded in NVIDIA's official documentation and developer-forum statements as of the date listed; not yet verified on physical hardware by Juxi Technology. The rebuild list describes standard platform consequences — validate against your own stack.

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