Verify Your System
After the first boot of your JetPack 7.2.1 system, run this checklist. It confirms the L4T release, the installed JetPack components, the Super Mode board configuration, and the power modes. If the system is not set up yet, start with Quick Start.
Step 1 — Check the L4T (BSP) release
cat /etc/nv_tegra_releaseA JetPack 7.2.1 system reports R39 with REVISION: 2.1:
# R39 (release), REVISION: 2.1, GCID: 46758480, BOARD: generic, EABI: aarch64, DATE: Fri Aug 7 05:54:22 AM UTC 2026
# KERNEL_VARIANT: oot
TARGET_USERSPACE_LIB_DIR=nvidia
TARGET_USERSPACE_LIB_DIR_PATH=usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/nvidiaJuxi note: NVIDIA does not publish a sample output for this file. The block above is a community-observed r39.2.1 output from an Orin device; your
GCIDandDATEvalues will differ. The part that matters isREVISION: 2.1.
If the output shows an older release (for example R36 from JetPack 6.x), your system is not running JetPack 7.2.1 — see Flashing & Updates and the JetPack 6 to 7 Migration.
Step 2 — Check the JetPack components and versions
JetPack components such as CUDA, cuDNN, and TensorRT are installed as Debian packages. NVIDIA's official list command is:
apt list --installed | grep nvidia-jetpackThe nvidia-jetpack metapackage must appear in the output. To spot-check one component, query dpkg directly — for example, cuDNN with dpkg -l | grep cudnn. If the metapackage is missing, run sudo apt update then sudo apt install nvidia-jetpack, and reboot if prompted.
The table below lists NVIDIA's official component versions for JetPack 7.2.1 / Jetson Linux 39.2.1 (checked 2026-09-26 on the JetPack download page):
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| Jetson Linux (L4T) | 39.2.1 |
| Operating system | Ubuntu 24.04 (L4T) |
| Kernel | 6.8 |
| CUDA | 13.2.2 |
| cuDNN | 9.20.0 |
| TensorRT | 10.16.2 |
| VPI (computer vision) | 4.1.4 |
| V4L2 | 1.22.1 |
| DeepStream SDK | 9.1 |
| Holoscan SDK | 3.9.0 |
| Nsight Systems | 2026.3 |
| NVIDIA Container Toolkit | 1.19 (with ISO image) |
| Isaac ROS | Shipped — Isaac ROS 4.6.0 (August 2026) added Jetson Orin and JetPack 7.2 support; NVIDIA's component table still says "coming soon" |
Juxi note: NVIDIA's 7.2.1 page lists one matrix for the whole JetPack 7 line (Thor and Orin together), not per platform.
dpkgmay show versions with a build suffix — match the version number, not the full string. NVIDIA's table does not list OpenCV, DLA, or Python versions, so this page does not either.
On the VPI version: NVIDIA's download page has not been fully refreshed for 7.2.1 — its VPI row still carries the JetPack 7.2 value (4.1.3). JetPack 7.2.1 actually ships VPI 4.1.4, confirmed from NVIDIA's own package repository:
nvidia-jetpack-runtime (= 7.2.1-b49)depends onnvidia-vpi (= 7.2.1-b49), which pinslibnvvpi4 (= 4.1.4). Both 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 exist in the package pool, so only the dependency lock is decisive. (checked 2026-09-26)
Step 3 — Install jtop and read system activity (optional)
jtop is part of jetson-stats, a community project — not an NVIDIA product. NVIDIA does not document it for this release, and compatibility with L4T r39 is not verified by NVIDIA.
Install it using the community instructions on the jetson-stats project page.
Then run jtop — an interactive system monitor and process viewer. Watch the shared 8 GB of unified memory before starting a large AI workload. An official alternative is sudo tegrastats (live CPU, GPU, memory, temperature, and power-related activity; Ctrl+C stops it). NVIDIA's How-To page recommends tegrastats over nvidia-smi for monitoring on Jetson.
Step 4 — Check the Super Mode board configuration (TNSPEC)
JetPack 7.2.1 ISO installs flash the Super Mode configuration by default. Confirm it on the device:
cat /etc/nv_boot_control.confOn a Super-configured kit, the TNSPEC line carries a -super suffix. NVIDIA staff posted this example:
TNSPEC 3767-300-0005-S.1-1-1-jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super-On a non-Super kit, the same line ends without -super — for example, from a user's report of an affected system: TNSPEC 3767-300-0005-X.1-1-1-jetson-orin-nano-devkit-
Juxi note: The characters in the middle of the TNSPEC string vary by unit and firmware state. What matters is the
-supersuffix at the end of the TNSPEC line.
Release-note issue 6480645: after an ISO install, the UEFI variable TegraPlatformSpec may not accurately reflect the board specification. NVIDIA says to read the TNSPEC entry in /etc/nv_boot_control.conf for the correct board information.
Step 5 — Check the power modes
The default power mode is typically 25W. From the desktop: click the power mode in the Ubuntu top bar, select Power Mode, and choose MAXN SUPER. From the command line, print the active mode and its mode ID:
sudo /usr/sbin/nvpmodel -qTo switch modes, use the ID shown by the query (sudo /usr/sbin/nvpmodel -m <mode_id>). How to tell Super from non-Super:
| Super configuration | Non-Super configuration | |
|---|---|---|
| Available modes | 15W, 25W, MAXN SUPER | 7W, 15W only |
| Mode IDs (community-observed) | 0 = 15W, 1 = 25W, 2 = MAXN_SUPER; default 25W | 0 = 15W, 1 = 7W |
sudo nvpmodel -m 2 | selects MAXN SUPER | fails: NVPM ERROR: request for bad power mode 2 |
Juxi tip: The mode IDs come from a community report of the profile files on a 7.2 system; the desktop power menu lists the available modes directly. After the GPU has been used, a power-mode change may ask for a reboot — NVIDIA staff say that prompt is expected.
If only 7W and 15W appear
This is a known JetPack 7.2 problem, fixed by design in 7.2.1.
- On JetPack 7.2 (L4T 39.2), known issue 6279443 says units updated via the ISO installer "will not default to 'Super' mode"; NVIDIA's guidance was to flash the target with a Linux host or SDK Manager.
- JetPack 7.2.1 changes this: "ISO now flashes the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit with Super Mode flashing configuration by default." Issue 6279443 is not in the 7.2.1 known-issues list, and NVIDIA staff stated: "This would be fixed in jp7.2.1."
A fresh 7.2.1 ISO install should show 25W and MAXN SUPER. If your kit does not:
- For a system installed with the 7.2 ISO, reflash with the Super configuration from a Linux host or SDK Manager — see Flashing & Updates.
- NVIDIA does not state whether a 7.2.1 ISO re-install converts a board that was installed with the 7.2 ISO. If Super modes are still missing, use the reflash options in Troubleshooting.
The same question is indexed in the FAQ.
What good looks like
| Check | Command | What a correct system shows |
|---|---|---|
| L4T release | cat /etc/nv_tegra_release | R39 (release), REVISION: 2.1 |
| JetPack packages | apt list --installed | grep nvidia-jetpack | Installed JetPack packages, including the nvidia-jetpack metapackage |
| cuDNN spot check | dpkg -l | grep cudnn | Version 9.20.0 |
| Board configuration | cat /etc/nv_boot_control.conf | The TNSPEC line ends with jetson-orin-nano-devkit-super- |
| Power modes | sudo /usr/sbin/nvpmodel -q | Active mode is 25W by default; 15W, 25W, and MAXN SUPER are selectable |
If something is still wrong
Missing components: re-run the two commands in Step 2. For Super configuration or power-mode problems, see Flashing & Updates and Troubleshooting. Before asking for help, collect cat /etc/nv_tegra_release and cat /etc/nv_boot_control.conf — NVIDIA staff request this state (plus sudo /usr/sbin/nvpmodel -q --verbose) before any configuration-file workarounds. Juxi support: support@juxitech.com with your order number.
Sources
- JetPack SDK Setup · How-To — Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit User Guide (checked 2026-09-26)
- JetPack SDK Downloads and Release Notes (checked 2026-09-26)
- Jetson Linux 39.2.1 Release Notes (PDF) · 39.2 Release Notes (PDF) (checked 2026-09-26)
- NVIDIA forum — 25W and MAXN SUPER not seen in JetPack 7.2 · continuing power-mode issues · Super Mode not unlocking (checked 2026-09-26; include NVIDIA staff replies)
- jetson-stats (jtop) on PyPI · Jetson AI Lab (checked 2026-09-26; community sources for the jtop install)
Status: draft, pending review by cheny. Grounded in NVIDIA's official documentation and NVIDIA forum sources as of the dates listed; not yet verified on physical hardware by Juxi Technology.
NVIDIA® and Jetson™ are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. This page is published by Juxi Technology and is not an NVIDIA publication.