Generated banner for Pva Setup
Generated logo for Pva Setup

Pva Setup

NVIDIAOfficialCreated by Venkat BalanDistributed by NVIDIA

  • Skill
  • Workflow
  • Software development
  • Apache-2.0
  • Medium risk

From the author

Install and configure the NVIDIA PVA SDK, NVVPU compiler, and L4T target runtime from the selected installation guide. Use when the user requests PVA environment setup on a development host and board.
— the description by Venkat Balan

AutoGineer summary

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

The pva-setup skill provides a structured workflow for configuring a PVA development environment. It manages the installation of the NVIDIA PVA SDK, NVVPU compiler, and L4T target runtime on both development hosts and target boards. The process integrates with pva-doctor to verify system readiness, handles source code management for PVA Solutions, and ensures that all components are correctly installed according to specific release guides. It supports both cross-compilation for L4T targets and emulation modes on the host.

What it does

  • Installs and configures the PVA SDK, NVVPU compiler, and L4T runtime.
  • Verifies system readiness using pva-doctor before and after installation.
  • Manages PVA Solutions source code, including cloning and LFS support.
  • Supports cross-compilation for L4T targets and emulation on the host.
  • Generates detailed setup reports including component versions and verification status.
  • Maintains SDK references and documentation integrity.

When to use it

  • When setting up a new PVA development environment on a host and target board.
  • When specific PVA components are missing or require configuration updates.
  • When transitioning between different PVA SDK releases or build modes.
  • When preparing a workspace for PVA development and testing.

Advantages

  • Ensures consistent environment configuration based on official installation guides.
  • Prevents unnecessary re-installation by verifying existing component states.
  • Automates complex multi-step installation procedures across host and target.
  • Provides clear reporting on installation success and remaining limitations.

Usage examples

“Set up the PVA environment for the latest SDK release on my host and Jetson target.”
The agent will invoke pva-doctor to assess the current state, then follow the installation guide to install the required SDK, NVVPU, and runtime components, finally verifying the setup.
“Configure the PVA development environment for emulation mode.”
The agent will identify the necessary packages for EMU mode as defined in the release guide and configure the host environment accordingly.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

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

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip pva-setup.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Venkat Balan

Set up a PVA development environment

<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved. -->

Support regular x86-64 Ubuntu on the development host and Jetson Linux (L4T) on the Arm64 target. Run the agent and build tools on the development host. PVA_BUILD_MODE=L4T cross-compiles for execution on the board; PVA_BUILD_MODE=EMU builds for emulation on the development host. Use NVVPU for non-safety development. DriveOS and ASIP setup are outside this workflow.

Workflow: Doctor → Setup when needed → Doctor → Spec → OpGen. Doctor checks readiness without installing software. The user invokes Setup when installation or configuration is needed.

Resolve the inputs

Use the user request and Doctor report to resolve:

  • Doctor report and requested capabilities.

  • Installation guide, supplied as a local file or URL; PVA generation.

  • Optional SDK release or installation-path override supplied by the user.

  • Development host and target SSH connection; expected BSP release, if supplied.

  • Work directory (WORK_DIR); use Doctor's work directory when supplied.

  • Optional EMU, CUDA, NvSci, or PVA Solutions requirements and project path.

When PVA Solutions is selected, use the supplied project path or default to $WORK_DIR/source. Reuse an existing source tree. Otherwise clone https://github.com/nvidia/pva-solutions.git there, unless the user supplies another repository or source archive. Honor a requested Solutions tag, branch, or commit; without one, use the repository's default branch. Record the source URL, absolute project path, version, and resolved commit when available. Do not infer a Solutions version from the SDK version.

Resolve the SDK release, installer URL, package names, and installation paths from the selected guide and package metadata before invoking Doctor. This includes SDK, NVVPU, CMake package, and target runtime paths. Do not hard-code package paths or construct names or paths from a version. Do not require the user to repeat values that these sources provide. Honor an explicit release or path override; check that the guide and installer support it. If the release or installer source cannot be established, report BLOCKED. Do not guess a version or substitute another release.

Resolve relative paths against the invocation directory before changing directories. Execute host installation commands on the development host, and target commands through its target connection. Keep generated files in the work directory, outside installed skills and SDK documentation.

Use inherited credentials or configured authentication. Never print secrets. In headless runs, report BLOCKED with the exact missing input or access requirement instead of asking questions.

1. Read Doctor's findings

If no applicable Doctor report exists, invoke pva-doctor first using the agent's available skill mechanism. Keep the same capability and target scope.

Determine readiness from current checks, not a marker that Setup ran. Confirm the report describes the selected host, target, SDK, and scope. Recheck package versions and paths before deciding whether changes are needed.

  • If requested capabilities are ready and the installation matches the request, make no package changes. Rerun Doctor and report the result.

  • If required components are missing, identify the installation steps.

  • If SDK references are missing, outdated, or damaged, prepare them in step 5. Reuse a matching installed SDK; this failure alone needs no installer or sudo.

  • If a failure concerns operator code or tests, route it to Build-Test or Debug instead of reinstalling the environment.

An already prepared environment does not need an installer or sudo access. Do not treat READY_WITH_LIMITATIONS as proof that every component works; resolve or report the specific unproved check.

2. Check installation prerequisites

For each needed change, read the selected release's installation guide and compatibility notes. Record the source, release identity, and relevant section. If the guide or artifact does not match the requested release, report BLOCKED before package changes. Do not substitute the latest release.

Check the affected machine's operating system, architecture, installed versions, BSP compatibility, installer access, and available disk space. Inspect installer package metadata before installing it. Use package names and versions from the guide and repository metadata; do not guess them.

List the necessary changes and reuse components that satisfy the request. Do not upgrade, downgrade, or remove unrelated packages. If the package transaction would exceed the requested setup, report the proposed changes as BLOCKED rather than applying them.

Use existing authorized administrative access for the specific operations. Do not require unrestricted passwordless sudo. If an operation is unavailable, report BLOCKED with the machine, operation, and reason.

3. Set up the development host

Follow the guide for the selected release:

  1. Obtain and inspect the local installer.

  2. Register its package repository and refresh package metadata.

  3. Confirm the selected package versions, dependencies, and transaction.

  4. Install the SDK, NVVPU compiler, and required build dependencies.

  5. Verify versions and actual paths from installed package metadata.

Use the package names listed in the installation guide. Read their actual versions from the installer or package repository. Confirm they match the selected release before installation, then check the installed versions.

Provide Python 3.9+ and pdftotext when Setup needs them to materialize SDK references. Install CUDA or NvSci dependencies only when requested work needs them. Record any necessary environment settings without silently editing the user's shell startup files or credential files.

EMU is included in the core SDK for releases that document this support. Use only the packages that the selected guide requires for EMU.

If PVA Solutions is selected, obtain its source as resolved above. Provide Git for a clone and Git LFS when the source uses it. Restore required submodules and working LFS files according to the repository's instructions for the selected build modes. Preserve local changes; do not replace a nonempty destination, reset a checkout, or pull unrelated updates. If source access or a requested revision is unavailable, report BLOCKED with the reason. A cached LFS object alone does not prove the working file exists.

Follow the guide's cleanup steps only for temporary installers and repository registrations created by this run. Preserve preexisting repositories and files.

4. Set up the L4T target

Read the board's installed BSP release over SSH and check compatibility with the selected SDK before installing its runtime. Check an expected BSP release only when the user supplies one. Use the supplied SSH account and trusted host key. Transfer the installer from the development host when the board cannot access the package source directly.

Follow the guide to install the Arm64 L4T runtime package it names. Inspect the transaction and reuse a compatible installed runtime. Verify its version, architecture, and non-safety variant against the selected release's compatibility rules and the user's version request.

Do not flash the board or change SSH trust, security settings, or clocks as part of package setup. If a command fails, save the failure and inspect current state before retrying; do not repeat a failed transaction blindly.

5. Prepare SDK references

Resolve the installed pva-doctor skill directory through the available skill mechanism. Use its bundled materializer and manifest with the selected SDK's documentation and $WORK_DIR/references/sdk. Follow its references/reference-maintenance.md for path checks, prerequisites, and commands. Keep the installed skills and SDK documentation unchanged.

Run verify first when a corpus exists. Reuse it if verification passes. For a missing or failed corpus, run sync, then verify, within the authorized workspace. Preserve the initial Doctor report and failure evidence before replacement. Report a materializer failure accurately; do not edit hashes or claim reference readiness. No SDK reinstall is needed solely to refresh references.

6. Run Doctor again

Invoke pva-doctor with the same requested capabilities, SDK, generation, project, target, and emulator policy. Preserve the initial Doctor report before writing the final report. Doctor owns compiler probes, reference verification, and readiness checks; package installation alone does not prove readiness.

Keep unavailable optional capabilities neutral. Report each remaining required failure or limitation and its next action. Do not proceed to Spec or OpGen.

Report

Write WORK_DIR/reports/pva-setup-report.md, including on an early stop:

  • Requested release, scope, installation source, and host/target identity.

  • Components reused, installed, or configured, with commands and exit codes.

  • Verified versions and paths, plus saved evidence locations.

  • Remaining failures or limitations and any partial changes.

  • Initial and final Doctor report paths and the final readiness verdict.

Print a concise summary and next action. Use Doctor's final verdict when it ran. Otherwise report BLOCKED for missing input or access, or NOT_READY for a demonstrated installation failure. Never claim an unperformed check passed.

Files

LICENSE

Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.


                                 Apache License
                           Version 2.0, January 2004
                        http://www.apache.org/licenses/

   TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION

   1. Definitions.

      "License" shall mean the terms and conditions for use, reproduction,
      and distribution as defined by Sections 1 through 9 of this document.

      "Licensor" shall mean the copyright owner or entity authorized by
      the copyright owner that is granting the License.

      "Legal Entity" shall mean the union of the acting entity and all
      other entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common
      control with that entity. For the purposes of this definition,
      "control" means (i) the power, direct or indirect, to cause the
      direction or management of such entity, whether by contract or
      otherwise, or (ii) ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the
      outstanding shares, or (iii) beneficial ownership of such entity.

      "You" (or "Your") shall mean an individual or Legal Entity
      exercising permissions granted by this License.

      "Source" form shall mean the preferred form for making modifications,
      including but not limited to software source code, documentation
      source, and configuration files.

      "Object" form shall mean any form resulting from mechanical
      transformation or translation of a Source form, including but
      not limited to compiled object code, generated documentation,
      and conversions to other media types.

      "Work" shall mean the work of authorship, whether in Source or
      Object form, made available under the License, as indicated by a
      copyright notice that is included in or attached to the work
      (an example is provided in the Appendix below).

      "Derivative Works" shall mean any work, whether in Source or Object
      form, that is based on (or derived from) the Work and for which the
      editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications
      represent, as a whole, an original work of authorship. For the purposes
      of this License, Derivative Works shall not include works that remain
      separable from, or merely link (or bind by name) to the interfaces of,
      the Work and Derivative Works thereof.

      "Contribution" shall mean any work of authorship, including
      the original version of the Work and any modifications or additions
      to that Work or Derivative Works thereof, that is intentionally
      submitted to Licensor for inclusion in the Work by the copyright owner
      or by an individual or Legal Entity authorized to submit on behalf of
      the copyright owner. For the purposes of this definition, "submitted"
      means any form of electronic, verbal, or written communication sent
      to the Licensor or its representatives, including but not limited to
      communication on electronic mailing lists, source code control systems,
      and issue tracking systems that are managed by, or on behalf of, the
      Licensor for the purpose of discussing and improving the Work, but
      excluding communication that is conspicuously marked or otherwise
      designated in writing by the copyright owner as "Not a Contribution."

      "Contributor" shall mean Licensor and any individual or Legal Entity
      on behalf of whom a Contribution has been received by Licensor and
      subsequently incorporated within the Work.

   2. Grant of Copyright License. Subject to the terms and conditions of
      this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual,
      worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable
      copyright license to reproduce, prepare Derivative Works of,
      publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute the
      Work and such Derivative Works in Source or Object form.

   3. Grant of Patent License. Subject to the terms and conditions of
      this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual,
      worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable
      (except as stated in this section) patent license to make, have made,
      use, offer to sell, sell, import, and otherwise transfer the Work,
      where such license applies only to those patent claims licensable
      by such Contributor that are necessarily infringed by their
      Contribution(s) alone or by combination of their Contribution(s)
      with the Work to which such Contribution(s) was submitted. If You
      institute patent litigation against any entity (including a
      cross-claim or counterclaim in a lawsuit) alleging that the Work
      or a Contribution incorporated within the Work constitutes direct
      or contributory patent infringement, then any patent licenses
      granted to You under this License for that Work shall terminate
      as of the date such litigation is filed.

   4. Redistribution. You may reproduce and distribute copies of the
      Work or Derivative Works thereof in any medium, with or without
      modifications, and in Source or Object form, provided that You
      meet the following conditions:

      (a) You must give any other recipients of the Work or
          Derivative Works a copy of this License; and

      (b) You must cause any modified files to carry prominent notices
          stating that You changed the files; and

      (c) You must retain, in the Source form of any Derivative Works
          that You distribute, all copyright, patent, trademark, and
          attribution notices from the Source form of the Work,
          excluding those notices that do not pertain to any part of
          the Derivative Works; and

      (d) If the Work includes a "NOTICE" text file as part of its
          distribution, then any Derivative Works that You distribute must
          include a readable copy of the attribution notices contained
          within such NOTICE file, excluding those notices that do not
          pertain to any part of the Derivative Works, in at least one
          of the following places: within a NOTICE text file distributed
          as part of the Derivative Works; within the Source form or
          documentation, if provided along with the Derivative Works; or,
          within a display generated by the Derivative Works, if and
          wherever such third-party notices normally appear. The contents
          of the NOTICE file are for informational purposes only and
          do not modify the License. You may add Your own attribution
          notices within Derivative Works that You distribute, alongside
          or as an addendum to the NOTICE text from the Work, provided
          that such additional attribution notices cannot be construed
          as modifying the License.

      You may add Your own copyright statement to Your modifications and
      may provide additional or different license terms and conditions
      for use, reproduction, or distribution of Your modifications, or
      for any such Derivative Works as a whole, provided Your use,
      reproduction, and distribution of the Work otherwise complies with
      the conditions stated in this License.

   5. Submission of Contributions. Unless You explicitly state otherwise,
      any Contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in the Work
      by You to the Licensor shall be under the terms and conditions of
      this License, without any additional terms or conditions.
      Notwithstanding the above, nothing herein shall supersede or modify
      the terms of any separate license agreement you may have executed
      with Licensor regarding such Contributions.

   6. Trademarks. This License does not grant permission to use the trade
      names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the Licensor,
      except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the
      origin of the Work and reproducing the content of the NOTICE file.

   7. Disclaimer of Warranty. Unless required by applicable law or
      agreed to in writing, Licensor provides the Work (and each
      Contributor provides its Contributions) on an "AS IS" BASIS,
      WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
      implied, including, without limitation, any warranties or conditions
      of TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, or FITNESS FOR A
      PARTICULAR PURPOSE. You are solely responsible for determining the
      appropriateness of using or redistributing the Work and assume any
      risks associated with Your exercise of permissions under this License.

   8. Limitation of Liability. In no event and under no legal theory,
      whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise,
      unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly
      negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall any Contributor be
      liable to You for damages, including any direct, indirect, special,
      incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a
      result of this License or out of the use or inability to use the
      Work (including but not limited to damages for loss of goodwill,
      work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, or any and all
      other commercial damages or losses), even if such Contributor
      has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

   9. Accepting Warranty or Additional Liability. While redistributing
      the Work or Derivative Works thereof, You may choose to offer,
      and charge a fee for, acceptance of support, warranty, indemnity,
      or other liability obligations and/or rights consistent with this
      License. However, in accepting such obligations, You may act only
      on Your own behalf and on Your sole responsibility, not on behalf
      of any other Contributor, and only if You agree to indemnify,
      defend, and hold each Contributor harmless for any liability
      incurred by, or claims asserted against, such Contributor by reason
      of your accepting any such warranty or additional liability.

   END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

   APPENDIX: How to apply the Apache License to your work.

      To apply the Apache License to your work, attach the following
      boilerplate notice, with the fields enclosed by brackets "[]"
      replaced with your own identifying information. (Don't include
      the brackets!)  The text should be enclosed in the appropriate
      comment syntax for the file format. We also recommend that a
      file or class name and description of purpose be included on the
      same "printed page" as the copyright notice for easier
      identification within third-party archives.

   Copyright [yyyy] [name of copyright owner]

   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   You may obtain a copy of the License at

       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   limitations under the License.

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.

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

  • Large base64-encoded blobs

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
Venkat Balan
Publisher
NVIDIA (Official)
Distributed by
NVIDIA
Source
NVIDIA/skills · skills/pva-setup · commit fce3cca
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE-APACHE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Venkat Balan or NVIDIA.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download pva-setup.zip