jetson-init-image
Extract Jetson Linux + sample-rootfs tarballs and run apply_binaries.sh for the active target, then record bsp_image in the profile. Use after jetson-init-target; not for source-tree setup.
Install / Use
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill jetson-init-imageInstalls into whichever agent you are using.
SKILL.md
Installable skill definition
Quality Score
Category
Development & EngineeringSupported Platforms
Our assessment of jetson-init-image
jetson-init-image scores 92/100 on our quality scale, 621st of 3,356 Development & Engineering skills we index (top 19%).
Its SKILL.md is 7.1 KB long, well organised into 15 sections with 2 code examples: a thorough specification that gives an agent plenty to work with.
With 3,421 GitHub stars, it is one of the more widely adopted skills in the catalogue.
Maintenance, license and trust
- The repository was last updated 5 days ago, so jetson-init-image is actively maintained.
- It is released under the Apache-2.0 license, a permissive license that allows use, modification and commercial use with attribution.
- Its trust signals score 100/100, with no cautions. These come from repository metadata, not a code audit — read the skill file before letting an agent act on it.
jetson-init-image compared with similar skills
All 4 of these similar skills score higher than jetson-init-image; compare them before choosing.
| Skill | Score | Stars | Updated | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jetson-init-image (this skill)by NVIDIA | 92 | 3.4k | 5d ago | SKILL.md |
| ai-job-searchby MadsLorentzen | 100 | 44.4k | today | CLAUDE.md |
| claude-howtoby luongnv89 | 100 | 41.7k | 2d ago | CLAUDE.md |
| LocalAIby mudler | 100 | 49.3k | today | MCP Server |
| algorithmic-artby anthropics | 100 | 177.9k | 6d ago | SKILL.md |
Frequently asked questions
- How do I install jetson-init-image?
- Run
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill jetson-init-image. The install tabs above show the steps for each supported agent. - Which AI agents does jetson-init-image work with?
- It is written for Universal, as a SKILL.md file. Other agents that read the same format can often use it too.
- Is jetson-init-image safe to use?
- It is Apache-2.0-licensed and scores 100/100 on trust signals. Skills are instructions an agent will follow, so read the file before installing it and do not approve commands you do not understand.
- Is jetson-init-image still maintained?
- The repository was last updated 5 days ago, so jetson-init-image is actively maintained.
Skill content
View source on GitHubname: jetson-init-image description: >- Extract Jetson Linux + sample-rootfs tarballs and run apply_binaries.sh for the active target, then record bsp_image in the profile. Use after jetson-init-target; not for source-tree setup. version: 0.0.1 license: "Apache-2.0" metadata: data-classification: public author: "Jetson Team" tags: - bsp - image - bootstrap domain: meta
Initialize BSP Image
Output is only bsp_image: in the active profile: derived version
plus root_path only when overriding <workspace>/Image.
When to invoke
- The user asks to extract, prepare, or initialize the BSP image.
- A downstream skill reports missing
<bsp_image.root_path>/Linux_for_Tegra/. - The active profile has no
bsp_image:block yet.
Procedure
Resolve target and image path
Resolve the active profile per
../../context/target-platform-contract.md.
Refuse if there is no active profile or reference_devkit: is missing.
<workspace> is the parent of the active profile's target-platform/
directory. <bsp_image.root_path> defaults to <workspace>/Image.
| Profile state | Action |
|---|---|
| bsp_image.root_path exists | Use it without prompting. |
| bsp_image: exists without root_path | Use <workspace>/Image. |
| No bsp_image: block | Ask once: Enter for default, or absolute override path. |
For an override, validate that the closest existing parent is writable.
Omit root_path when the default is used.
Determine GPU stack
Use the shared GPU-driver invariant from
../../context/target-platform-contract.md.
Derive the expected stack from reference_devkit.module.id and the
catalogue:
| Chip family | Module IDs | Stack | apply_binaries.sh flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| T234 / Orin | p3701, p3767 | nvgpu | none |
| T264 and later / Thor+ | p3834 | OpenRM | --openrm |
Refuse unknown module IDs. The --openrm flag is only valid on BSP
releases that ship the OpenRM stack; if the active BSP doesn't expose
the flag, omit it regardless of what the target wants.
Reuse or extract
If <bsp_image.root_path>/Linux_for_Tegra/ already exists:
-
Do not extract over it unless the user explicitly requested re-extraction and accepted the overwrite risk.
-
Derive the on-disk version from
Linux_for_Tegra/nv_tegra_release. Ask before replacing a different recordedbsp_image.version. -
Verify the installed GPU stack against the platform-derived expectation when possible. Detection precedence (first probe that yields a definitive answer wins):
Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs/etc/nv_tegra_releasecarries anINSTALL_TYPE=token on BSP releases that expose it (newer lines). Read and compare directly.- Otherwise,
find Linux_for_Tegra -name nvgpu.ko: present → nvgpu, absent → OpenRM. - If the chip family has only ever shipped one stack (e.g. T234 / Orin is always nvgpu in current BSPs), fall back to the catalogue-derived expectation without disk probing.
If the installed stack conflicts with the active target, refuse and ask the user to re-extract with the correct stack or fix the target profile. Otherwise skip extraction and update the profile.
Locate tarballs
When extraction is needed, search:
<bsp_image.root_path>/<workspace>/- current working directory
Prompt for absolute paths for anything missing. Required filenames:
Jetson_Linux_R<ver>_aarch64.tbz2Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R<ver>_aarch64.tbz2
Both filenames must contain the same R<ver> token. Refuse mismatches
and record <ver> as bsp_image.version. Do not download tarballs.
Extract and apply binaries
Use absolute tarball paths; they may live outside
<bsp_image.root_path>.
ROOT="<bsp_image.root_path>"
BSP_TARBALL="<absolute path to Jetson_Linux_R<ver>_aarch64.tbz2>"
ROOTFS_TARBALL="<absolute path to Tegra_Linux_Sample-Root-Filesystem_R<ver>_aarch64.tbz2>"
mkdir -p "$ROOT"
tar xjf "$BSP_TARBALL" -C "$ROOT"
sudo tar xpjf "$ROOTFS_TARBALL" -C "$ROOT/Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs"
cd "$ROOT/Linux_for_Tegra"
if [ "$GPU_STACK" = "openrm" ]; then
sudo ./apply_binaries.sh --openrm
else
sudo ./apply_binaries.sh
fi
Set GPU_STACK from the "Determine GPU stack" step above. Abort on the first failing command and
surface the failed command.
Update the active profile
Persist the resolved BSP image metadata in the active target profile so
later skills can find the BSP without re-prompting. Preserve existing
blocks, comments, and quoted SKU values; use a round-tripping YAML
writer such as ruamel.yaml.
bsp_image:
root_path: <absolute override path> # omit for <workspace>/Image
version: "<derived version>"
Rules:
- Same version and same root path: no rewrite.
- Different version: ask before updating.
- Different recorded
root_path: refuse automatic rewrite. - Always quote
version.
Finish
Report the image path, extracted vs reused state, GPU stack, derived
version, and profile update status. Then suggest /jetson-init-source.
Purpose
Materialize Linux_for_Tegra/ on disk by extracting the right Jetson
Linux + sample-rootfs tarballs and running apply_binaries.sh with
the GPU-stack flag derived from the active target (nvgpu for T234,
OpenRM for T264+). Then commit the derived BSP version into the
profile's bsp_image: block.
Prerequisites
- Active target profile resolved per
../../context/target-platform-contract.md. - Jetson Linux BSP tarball and matching sample-rootfs tarball staged
on disk (e.g. by
/jetson-download-bspor hand-placed). - Write access to the workspace
Image/root (or the overridebsp_image.root_path). sudoavailable forapply_binaries.sh.
Limitations
- Writes only the
bsp_image:block; source tree, documents, and carrier profile are owned by sibling skills. - Refuses to overwrite an existing
Linux_for_Tegra/without explicit user direction. - Does not download tarballs; rely on
/jetson-download-bspor hand-stage the inputs.
Troubleshooting
apply_binaries.shexits non-zero — re-read its console output; most failures are missingsudo, missing rootfs tarball, or wrong GPU stack flag for the SoC generation.nv_tegra_releaseabsent after extract — extraction stopped early; verify tarball integrity and rerun.- Recorded
versiondisagrees with the tarball filename — the tarball was renamed; trust the value parsed fromLinux_for_Tegra/nv_tegra_releaseover filenames. - Different recorded
root_pathalready in profile — refuse and ask the user to confirm before overwriting.
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Languages
Trust signals
From repository metadata: license, adoption, age and documentation. Not a code audit — see the Safety scan above for what the skill file itself contains.
