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Jetson Validate Image

NVIDIAOfficialCreated by Jetson TeamDistributed by NVIDIA

  • Skill
  • Review and audit
  • Software development
  • Apache-2.0
  • Medium risk
  • Has scripts

From the author

Use after jetson-flash-image to run static BSP checks, on-target smoke/regression tests on a flashed DUT, or both. Not for build or flash steps. Triggers: validate bsp, on-target validation.
— the description by Jetson Team

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The jetson-validate-image skill provides a validation layer for customized Board Support Packages (BSP). It confirms that a BSP has been correctly applied by performing static analysis of artifacts on disk and executing smoke or regression tests on a flashed device. It supports both static-only validation and on-target testing via SSH or UART, ensuring that kernel, module, and initramfs components are coherent and correctly deployed.

What it does

  • Verifies static artifacts like DTB, module checksums, and partition layouts.
  • Checks for coherence between initramfs, kernel Image, and rootfs modules.
  • Connects to a flashed device via SSH or UART to confirm userspace boot.
  • Detects drift between running kernel modules and those present in the rootfs.
  • Compares the running kernel version against the version found in the boot Image.
  • Collects logs and test results from the target device.

When to use it

  • After flashing a BSP to a target device using jetson-flash-image.
  • When you need to perform smoke or regression testing on a flashed device.
  • As a quality gate in a CI pipeline before declaring a customization batch shippable.
  • To troubleshoot module loading or kernel version mismatch issues.

Advantages

  • Supports both static and on-target validation workflows.
  • Provides automated detection of common BSP deployment errors like initramfs drift.
  • Offers flexible connectivity options including UART for devices without network access.
  • Maintains security by using environment variables for passwords instead of inlining them in configuration files.

Usage examples

“/jetson-validate-image”
Performs static checks against the staged BSP on disk without requiring a target device.
“/jetson-validate-image”
Executes on-target validation tests using the SSH configuration defined in the active profile.
“/jetson-validate-image”
Runs validation tests over a UART connection at /dev/ttyACM0 using credentials from the profile.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/nvidia/jetson-validate-image/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip jetson-validate-image.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Jetson Team

Validate BSP Image

Status: the DUT-access contract is stable; the rest of the validation procedure is a skeleton.

Purpose

Confirm that a freshly customized BSP landed correctly — both as a static artifact on disk and as a running system on the target — without re-promoting or re-flashing. Forms the validation tail of Deploy in the Setup → Customize → Build → Deploy pipeline (see ../../context/bsp-customization-workflow.md for the pipeline view) and is independently re-runnable.

Prerequisites

  • Active target-platform profile with bsp_image: resolved (run /jetson-init-image first).

  • For static-only scope: nothing further; the skill reads <bsp_image.root_path> directly.

  • For on-target scope:

    • /jetson-flash-image already pushed the staged BSP to the DUT.

    • dut_access: block authored in the active profile (or filled interactively at runtime — see ## DUT access).

    • Host tooling per transport: ssh + sshpass for SSH; Python 3.6+ with pyserial for UART.

    • Required env vars resolvable on the host when auth=password or sudo.method=password (password_env / sudo.password_env name the env var; never inline the secret in YAML).

When to invoke

  • After jetson-flash-image has put the BSP onto a target.

  • The user explicitly asks to validate, test, or run smoke / regression checks on a flashed device.

  • As a CI gate before declaring a customization batch shippable.

Instructions

The procedure below is a skeleton.

  1. Read the active target per the prerequisite contract.

  2. Choose validation scope — static (against bsp_image on disk, no DUT needed) and/or on-target (DUT must be booted from the just-flashed image).

  3. Static checks (if in scope):

    • Required artifacts present at expected paths in <bsp_image.root_path>/Linux_for_Tegra/.

    • DTB / module checksum or signature verification.

    • Partition-layout sanity vs. the per-board .conf's XML.

    • Cross-check overlay-staged outputs against bsp_image (they should be identical post-promotion).

    • Initramfs ↔ kernel + rootfs module coherence. Extract <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/bootloader/l4t_initrd.img and <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs/boot/initrd; verify three invariants against the promoted bsp_image state: (a) <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/kernel/Image matches <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs/boot/Image byte-for- byte — drift here means the "Mirror kernel Image into rootfs" step was skipped and any subsequent initramfs refresh built against the previous kernel. (b) for each module path the two initrd images ship, the bytes / md5 match the file under <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/rootfs/lib/modules/<ver>/ — any drift means modules will be shadowed at early boot. (c) the vermagic stamped on every initramfs *.ko matches the UTS_RELEASE reachable from <bsp_image>/Linux_for_Tegra/kernel/Image (e.g. parse the Linux version … string with strings) — a vermagic skew means the kernel Image was refreshed without rerunning l4t_update_initrd.sh, and modules will fail to load with "disagrees about version of symbol …". All three failure modes are closed by /jetson-promote-image's gate on either kernel/Image or rootfs/lib/modules/ plus the kernel-Image mirror; surface drift here and route the user back to a clean promote. See ../jetson-promote-image/SKILL.md.

  4. On-target checks (if in scope):

    • Connect to the DUT per the ## DUT access section below — resolve transport (ssh / uart), credentials, and sudo method from the active profile's dut_access: block (with interactive fallback when fields are missing / marked prompt), then run the connection probe and refuse if it fails.

    • Confirm boot reached userspace.

    • Run the selected test suite (smoke, regression, focused per-customization, ad-hoc).

    • Loaded-module srcversion drift. For modules a customization is known to have rebuilt, compare cat /sys/module/<name>/srcversion on the DUT against the modinfo /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/.../<name>.ko | awk '/srcversion/ {print $2}' reading. A mismatch means the kernel is running an older copy than the rootfs ships — almost always a stale initramfs (the bootloader-side initrd shipped a pre-customize module, it loaded first, and the rootfs copy cannot replace a live module). Recommend re-running /jetson-promote-image and re-flashing. Note: some modules don't emit srcversion; fall back to an md5 check against the binary the kernel loaded by extracting the region under /sys/module/<name>/sections/ or by comparing behaviorally (printk / sysfs nodes / DT properties the new version is known to expose).

    • Running kernel vs. rootfs kernel Image. Compare cat /proc/version (or uname -v) on the DUT against the Linux version … string extracted from /boot/Image (strings /boot/Image | grep -m1 'Linux version'). A mismatch — usually the build timestamp / LOCALVERSION — means the bootloader is running an older kernel Image than the rootfs holds, almost certainly because a fresh Image was promoted but the initramfs / extlinux.conf / QSPI boot partition wasn't refreshed. Modules in the rootfs will then have a different vermagic and any subsequent modprobe of a built-against-the-new-kernel .ko will fail. Recommend /jetson-promote-image and re-flash.

    • Userspace dmesg readability. Ubuntu 22.04 sets kernel.dmesg_restrict=1; non-root dmesg reads return "Operation not permitted" and silently zero hits. Every dmesg-based check must run with sudo (or temporarily lower the restriction via sudo sysctl kernel.dmesg_restrict=0). Surfacing this in the validate layer keeps printk-based customization checks honest.

    • Collect results, logs, artifacts.

  5. Summary: per-check pass/fail, overall verdict, where logs and artifacts landed.

DUT access

The on-target leg needs a way to reach the just-flashed DUT. Two transports are supported as full peers: ssh (primary) and uart (fallback for DUTs with no network).

The contract is locked in but lives in references/dut-access.md to keep this SKILL.md under the agent-routing budget. That reference covers:

  • The dut_access: profile schema (ssh, uart, sudo, workdir).

  • Resolution order (profile → env var → interactive prompt) with the full refusal-trigger table.

  • The mandatory connection probe (uname -r + cat /etc/nv_tegra_release) and its output-validation rules.

  • File transfer per transport (scp vs. base64-over-tty, with the >100 KB warning).

  • Sudo invocation matrix per sudo.method × transport.

  • UART implementation contract that scripts/uart_session.py honors (state machines for login / exec / push / pull, exit codes, robustness notes).

  • Security notes (password handling, host-key pinning).

Available Scripts

ScriptPurposeArguments
scripts/uart_session.pyUART transport black box for the on-target leg: login, command exec (with optional sudo), and base64-over-tty file transfer. Replaces ssh when the DUT has no network or ssh is broken.--tty <dev> [--baud <n>] --user <name> --password-env <ENVVAR> [--sudo-password-env <ENVVAR>] [--shell-prompt <regex>] [--lock-strategy refuse|wait] <probe|exec|push|pull> [...]

Invocation (the skill calls scripts as a subprocess — run_script() in agent-runtime terminology):

# run_script: probe the DUT over UART
DUT_UART_PASSWORD_ENV=DUT_UART_PWD \
DUT_UART_PWD="$(read -rs -p 'UART login pw: '; echo "$REPLY")" \
  scripts/uart_session.py \
    --tty /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 115200 \
    --user ubuntu --password-env DUT_UART_PASSWORD_ENV \
    probe

# run_script: exec a sudo command and capture exit code
scripts/uart_session.py --tty /dev/ttyACM0 --user ubuntu \
  --password-env DUT_UART_PASSWORD_ENV \
  --sudo-password-env DUT_SUDO_PWD \
  exec --use-sudo 'dmesg | tail -200'

The script's exit code is the contract — see the exit-code table in UART implementation contract.

Examples

Static-only validation (no DUT needed):

/jetson-validate-image
> static checks only against the staged BSP

On-target validation over SSH after a freshly flashed DUT:

/jetson-flash-image
   ↓
/jetson-validate-image
> on-target checks via dut_access.ssh

On-target validation over UART (no network on the DUT):

/jetson-validate-image
> use the uart transport at /dev/ttyACM0; the dut_access.uart block
  in the profile already has the tty and login_password_env wired up

Limitations

  • Placeholder skill — only the DUT-access contract and the uart_session.py helper are locked in. The static-check list, test-suite selection, result-sink layout, and pass/fail policy are tracked under ## Open items and may change.

  • UART file transfer is byte-banged base64 at ~10 KB/s on 115200 baud — emits a warning for sources > 100 KB but proceeds. For high-volume transfers, switch to the SSH transport.

  • uart_session.py opens and closes the tty per subcommand invocation (~1–2 s login per call). Validation passes running

    10 commands amortize poorly on UART; prefer SSH.

  • SSH uses StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new with a per-profile known_hosts file. A fingerprint change refuses — typically means the DUT was reflashed (host keys regenerated) or the IP was reassigned. Remove the per-profile entry manually rather than auto-accepting.

  • Passwords are never inlined in the profile YAML — only password_env (env-var name) is persisted. auth=prompt / sudo.method=prompt exposes the password in the conversation log, which is the user's responsibility to manage.

  • transport=uart with lock_strategy=steal is not implemented (would require sending control characters that could corrupt the holder's state).

Troubleshooting

ErrorCauseSolution
no DUT transport configured (refuse)On-target scope requested but dut_access.transport unresolved across profile / env / interactive promptAuthor dut_access: in the active profile, or rerun with static-only scope.
$PASSWORD_ENV is unset (refuse)auth=password (or sudo.method=password) names an env var that isn't exported on the hostexport <ENVVAR>=... before invoking the skill; do NOT inline the password in YAML.
tty held by another process (refuse, exit 3)lock_strategy=refuse and fuser reports another holder (minicom, picocom, getty)Close the holding process (sudo fuser -k <tty> only if you know what's there), or rerun with lock_strategy=wait.
pyserial import failed (exit 4)UART transport selected but pyserial not installed in the skill's Pythonapt install python3-serial or pip install pyserial.
SSH fingerprint refusedDUT's host keys changed since the per-profile known_hosts was pinned (typically a reflash)Remove the matching line from <workspace>/target-platform/<profile-stem>.known_hosts and rerun — the new key will be accepted on first connect.
login failed (exit 128)UART probe couldn't match a login or shell prompt within timeoutConfirm the DUT is powered + booted to userspace; check --shell-prompt override if the DUT carries an unusual PS1; verify the --user matches a real account.
DUT not booted from the just-flashed BSP (warn / refuse)/etc/nv_tegra_release on the DUT doesn't match bsp_image.versionRe-run /jetson-flash-image and confirm the DUT actually power-cycled into the new BSP, not the previous one.
sudo prompt detected but no sudo password configured (exit 130)--use-sudo passed to uart_session.py exec but --sudo-password-env not set, and DUT user lacks NOPASSWDSet sudo.method=password + sudo.password_env in the profile, or grant NOPASSWD on the DUT via /etc/sudoers.d/.
command timed out (exit 129)Long-running DUT command exceeded the script's timeoutRun the command directly via ssh transport, or split into shorter steps.

References

  • references/dut-access.md — full DUT-access contract: profile schema, resolution order, probe, file transfer, sudo, UART implementation, security.

  • ../../context/target-platform-contract.md — target-platform contract.

  • ../../context/bsp-customization-workflow.md — Workspace edit protocol (this skill is the Deploy tail).

  • ../jetson-build-source/SKILL.md — Build builder; produces the artifacts this skill validates.

Files

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Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Python

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

  • Large base64-encoded blobs
  • Instructions that use the network
  • Scripts that your agent may run

This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Jetson Team
Publisher
NVIDIA (Official)
Distributed by
NVIDIA
Source
NVIDIA/skills · skills/jetson-validate-image · commit fce3cca
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE-APACHE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

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