How To Set Up SSD on Nvidia Jetson Nano

Prerequisites

• Nvidia Jetson Nano
• SSD
• MicroSD card
• Terminal access

Steps

1. Wipe SSD Using Terminal

1. Connect the SSD to your Jetson Nano.
2. Open a terminal.
3. Use the fdisk command to manage partitions:

   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
   

4. Delete existing partitions by typing d and follow the on-screen prompts.
5. Create a new partition by typing n and follow the prompts. Choose Primary and use the default values.
6. Set the partition type to Linux (83) by typing t and choosing 83.
7. Write the changes and exit by typing w.

2. Format and Mount the SSD

1. Format the SSD partition with the Ext4 file system:

   sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1
   

2. Create a mount point:

   sudo mkdir /media/ssd
   

3. Mount the SSD:

   sudo mount /dev/sda1 /media/ssd
   

4. Confirm that the SSD is mounted:

   df -h
   

5. Make the SSD mount automatically on boot by adding an entry to /etc/fstab:

   echo '/dev/sda1 /media/ssd ext4 defaults 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
   

6. Check the entry in /etc/fstab:

   cat /etc/fstab
   

3. Additional Configuration (Optional)

1. If you want to set up a SWAP partition (optional), you can create and enable it using the following commands:

   sudo fallocate -l 4G /media/ssd/swapfile
   sudo chmod 600 /media/ssd/swapfile
   sudo mkswap /media/ssd/swapfile
   sudo swapon /media/ssd/swapfile
   

2. To make the SWAP file permanent, add an entry to /etc/fstab:

   echo '/media/ssd/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
   

Conclusion

You have successfully wiped, formatted, and mounted your SSD using the terminal on your Nvidia Jetson Nano.

2. Download and Move Files

0. After the SSD is mounted, open Terminal to install nano:

   sudo apt install nano
   

1. Download the bootFromUSB repository from JetsonHacks:

   git clone https://github.com/jetsonhacks/bootFromUSB
   

2. Enter the bootFromUSB folder:

   cd bootFromUSB
   

3. Obtain the SSD UUID:

   ./partUUID.sh
   

   Remember the output: root=PARTUUID=a40b6c71-ca35-79d3-8an0-d6v66749e060.
4. Move files from MicroSD to SSD:

   ./copyRootToUSB.sh -p /dev/sda1
   

3. Configure SSD

1. Navigate to the SSD folders:

   cd /media/syslogine/myproject/boot/extlinux
   

2. Open extlinux.conf:

   sudo nano extlinux.conf
   

3. Replace:

   root=/dev/mmcblk0p1
   

   with the SSD UUID obtained earlier:

   root=PARTUUID=a40b6c71-ca35-79d3-8an0-d6v66749e060
   

4. Save and exit nano (Ctrl + X, Y, Enter).
5. Shutdown Jetson Nano:

   sudo poweroff
   

6. After your Jetson Nano powers off, remove the MicroSD card and power it on again. The system should now boot from the SSD instead of the MicroSD card.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully set up your SSD on Nvidia Jetson Nano, enhancing storage and performance.