Headless Mode on NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 64GB with JetPack 7.2

Tags: jetson jetpack-7.2 headless nomachine ubuntu-24.04 embedded-ai edge-ai

Overview

This guide walks through enabling fully headless operation on the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit running JetPack 7.2. After completing these steps, the device boots without any display, keyboard, or mouse — accessible entirely via SSH for terminal use and NoMachine for full GUI access.

Why NoMachine only?

JetPack 7.2 ships GNOME 46 on Ubuntu 24.04. GNOME 46 requires DRI3/GPU acceleration to render its compositor (Mutter). NoMachine's virtual display does not expose DRI3, causing gnome-shell to start but render nothing — only a black screen or bare wallpaper. XFCE4 has no compositor dependency, works perfectly in virtual displays, and is the stable choice for remote GUI access on this platform.

Tested Environment

Prerequisites

• Jetson AGX Orin with JetPack 7.2 flashed and first-boot wizard completed


• Static IP assigned or known (this guide uses 192.168.1.100 as example)


• A monitor and keyboard connected for this setup session only — they will not be needed after


• OpenSSH client installed on the remote host (Windows: built-in; Linux/macOS: native)


• NoMachine client installed on the remote host:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  cd ~/Downloads
  
  
  
  # Check the current version at the URL above and adjust the filename
  
  wget "https://web9001.nomachine.com/download/9.7/Arm/nomachine_9.7.3_1_arm64.deb"
  
  
  
  sudo dpkg -i nomachine_9.7.3_1_arm64.deb
  
  sudo apt --fix-broken install -y
  
  
  
  # The installation output will show warnings about CUPS (printer support)
  
  # These are expected and harmless — NoMachine installs correctly
  
  
  
  # Verify the server started
  
  sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --status
  
  # Expected: Running server at port: 4000
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Configure NoMachine for XFCE4
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Find and edit node.cfg
  
  sudo nano /usr/NX/etc/node.cfg
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Search for DefaultDesktopCommand and VirtualDesktopCommand — add or uncomment:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  DefaultDesktopCommand /usr/bin/startxfce4
  
  VirtualDesktopCommand /usr/bin/startxfce4
  
  DisplayGeometry 1920x1080
  
  AllowDesktopResize 1
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Restart NoMachine to apply changes
  
  sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --restart
  
  sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --status
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Enable NoMachine Autostart
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/nomachine-headless.service << 'EOF'
  
  [Unit]
  
  Description=NoMachine Headless Server
  
  After=network.target NetworkManager.service
  
  
  
  [Service]
  
  Type=oneshot
  
  RemainAfterExit=yes
  
  ExecStart=/usr/NX/bin/nxserver --restart
  
  ExecStop=/usr/NX/bin/nxserver --stop
  
  
  
  [Install]
  
  WantedBy=multi-user.target
  
  EOF
  
  
  
  sudo systemctl daemon-reload
  
  sudo systemctl enable nomachine-headless
  
  sudo systemctl start nomachine-headless
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Step 10 — Firewall
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Note: UFW is not installed by default in JetPack 7.2 on Ubuntu 24.04.
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo apt install ufw -y
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Fix for UFW + Kernel 6.8 (nftables conflict)
  

  
  
  

  Ubuntu 24.04 with kernel 6.8 uses nftables as the backend, but UFW expects iptables-legacy. Without this fix, sudo ufw enable will produce errors like RULE_APPEND failed (No such file or directory).
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Switch to iptables-legacy
  
  sudo update-alternatives --set iptables /usr/sbin/iptables-legacy
  
  sudo update-alternatives --set ip6tables /usr/sbin/ip6tables-legacy
  
  
  
  # Verify
  
  sudo iptables --version
  
  # Expected: iptables v1.8.x (legacy)
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Apply Firewall Rules
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo ufw default deny incoming
  
  sudo ufw default allow outgoing
  
  
  
  sudo ufw allow 22/tcp    comment "SSH"
  
  sudo ufw allow 4000/tcp  comment "NoMachine NX"
  
  
  
  # Add additional ports as needed for your stack:
  
  # sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp  comment "XRDP"
  
  # sudo ufw allow 11434/tcp comment "Ollama"
  
  # sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp  comment "vLLM"
  
  # sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp  comment "Open WebUI"
  
  # sudo ufw allow 8888/tcp  comment "Jupyter"
  
  
  
  sudo ufw enable
  
  # Type 'y' when prompted
  
  
  
  sudo ufw status numbered
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Alternative: nftables (if UFW issues persist)
  

  
  
  

  If UFW continues to fail even after the iptables-legacy fix, use nftables directly — it is the native firewall on Ubuntu 24.04:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo apt install nftables -y
  
  
  
  sudo tee /etc/nftables.conf << 'EOF'
  
  #!/usr/sbin/nft -f
  
  flush ruleset
  
  
  
  table inet filter {
  
      chain input {
  
          type filter hook input priority 0; policy drop;
  
          ct state established,related accept
  
          iif "lo" accept
  
          ip protocol icmp accept
  
          ip6 nexthdr icmpv6 accept
  
          tcp dport 22   accept comment "SSH"
  
          tcp dport 4000 accept comment "NoMachine"
  
          # Add more ports here as needed
  
      }
  
      chain forward { type filter hook forward priority 0; policy accept; }
  
      chain output  { type filter hook output  priority 0; policy accept; }
  
  }
  
  EOF
  
  
  
  sudo systemctl enable nftables
  
  sudo systemctl start nftables
  
  sudo nft list ruleset
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Step 11 — First Reboot Test
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo reboot
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Disconnect the physical monitor and keyboard. After approximately 30 seconds, from the remote host:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Test 1: Network is up
  
  ping 192.168.1.100
  
  
  
  # Test 2: SSH is reachable
  
  ssh jetson
  
  
  
  # Test 3: NoMachine port is open
  
  # Linux/macOS:
  
  nc -zv 192.168.1.100 4000
  
  
  
  # Windows PowerShell:
  
  Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.1.100 -Port 4000
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  If all three pass, the Jetson is running fully headless.

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Step 12 — Connect via NoMachine
  

  
  
  
  
  
  1. Open NoMachine on the remote host
  
  
  2. Click Add → Protocol: NX → Host: 192.168.1.100 → Port: 4000
     
  
  
  3. Authentication: Password
     
  
  
  4. Click Connect → accept the host fingerprint
  
  
  5. Enter your Jetson username and password
  
  
  6. When prompted for the session type → select "Create a new virtual desktop"
     
  
  
  7. XFCE4 desktop loads with full mouse, keyboard, and 1920×1080 resolution
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Step 13 — CUDA PATH Fix
  

  
  
  

  In JetPack 7.2, the CUDA compiler (nvcc) is installed but not in the default PATH. Add it:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Install CUDA development tools if not present
  
  sudo apt install nvidia-cuda-dev -y
  
  
  
  # Add CUDA to PATH permanently
  
  echo 'export PATH=/usr/local/cuda/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
  
  echo 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/cuda/lib64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
  
  source ~/.bashrc
  
  
  
  # Verify
  
  nvcc --version
  
  # Expected: Cuda compilation tools, release 13.2, ...
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Verification Checklist
  

  
  
  

  Run this block after a clean reboot to confirm the headless setup is complete:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  echo "=== Headless Mode Verification ==="
  
  
  
  echo -n "Network (static IP): "
  
  hostname -I | grep -q "192.168.1.100" && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
  
  
  
  echo -n "SSH server: "
  
  systemctl is-active ssh
  
  
  
  echo -n "Boot target (no GDM): "
  
  systemctl get-default
  
  
  
  echo -n "GDM status: "
  
  systemctl is-active gdm 2>/dev/null || echo "inactive (correct)"
  
  
  
  echo -n "NoMachine port 4000: "
  
  sudo ss -tlnp | grep -q ":4000" && echo "listening" || echo "NOT listening"
  
  
  
  echo -n "XFCE4 installed: "
  
  which startxfce4 && echo "OK" || echo "NOT FOUND"
  
  
  
  echo -n "~/.xsession → XFCE4: "
  
  grep -q "startxfce4" ~/.xsession && echo "OK" || echo "NOT configured"
  
  
  
  echo -n "Wayland disabled: "
  
  grep -q "WaylandEnable=false" /etc/gdm3/custom.conf && echo "OK" || echo "NOT disabled"
  
  
  
  echo -n "Xorg dummy driver: "
  
  test -f /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-tegra-headless.conf && echo "OK" || echo "NOT configured"
  
  
  
  echo -n "CUDA PATH: "
  
  nvcc --version 2>/dev/null | grep -o "release [0-9.]*" || echo "NOT in PATH — run: source ~/.bashrc"
  
  
  
  echo "=== Done ==="
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Expected output (all lines should show OK or the correct active status):
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  === Headless Mode Verification ===
  
  Network (static IP): OK
  
  SSH server: active
  
  Boot target (no GDM): multi-user.target
  
  GDM status: inactive (correct)
  
  NoMachine port 4000: listening
  
  XFCE4 installed: /usr/bin/startxfce4  OK
  
  ~/.xsession → XFCE4: OK
  
  Wayland disabled: OK
  
  Xorg dummy driver: OK
  
  CUDA PATH: release 13.2,
  
  === Done ===
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Troubleshooting
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  NoMachine connects but shows a black screen
  

  
  
  

  This typically means gnome-shell was launched instead of XFCE4.
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Check ~/.xsession
  
  cat ~/.xsession
  
  # Must contain: exec startxfce4
  
  
  
  # Check node.cfg
  
  grep -E "DefaultDesktop|VirtualDesktop" /usr/NX/etc/node.cfg
  
  # Must point to /usr/bin/startxfce4
  
  
  
  # Fix and restart
  
  cat > ~/.xsession << 'EOF'
  
  #!/bin/bash
  
  unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
  
  unset XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
  
  exec startxfce4
  
  EOF
  
  chmod +x ~/.xsession
  
  sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --restart
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Then disconnect and reconnect from the NoMachine client, choosing "Create a new virtual desktop".

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  SSH unreachable after reboot (but ping works)
  

  
  
  

  The SSH port is open but the connection times out. SSH may be down, or UFW may be blocking it.
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # Via a physical connection or recovery
  
  sudo systemctl status ssh
  
  sudo systemctl start ssh
  
  sudo ufw status
  
  sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Network not up after headless reboot
  

  
  
  

  The Ethernet connection may require a user session to activate. Verify the connection.permissions fix:
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  nmcli connection show "Wired connection 1" | grep permissions
  
  # Must show: connection.permissions: (empty)
  
  
  
  # If not empty, reapply
  
  sudo nmcli connection modify "Wired connection 1" connection.permissions ""
  
  sudo nmcli connection up "Wired connection 1"
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  UFW enable fails with RULE_APPEND errors (kernel 6.8)
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  sudo update-alternatives --set iptables /usr/sbin/iptables-legacy
  
  sudo update-alternatives --set ip6tables /usr/sbin/ip6tables-legacy
  
  sudo ufw disable
  
  sudo ufw reset
  
  sudo ufw enable
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  nvcc not found after installing nvidia-cuda-dev
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  CODE Kopieren

  # The PATH change requires sourcing the profile
  
  source ~/.bashrc
  
  
  
  # Or specify the full path directly
  
  /usr/local/cuda/bin/nvcc --version
  
  
  
  # Verify the binary exists
  
  ls /usr/local/cuda/bin/nvcc
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Summary
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Step	Action	Result
  1–3	System update + packages + hostname	Base system ready
  4	Static IP + connection.permissions=""	Network up without login
  5	SSH + key auth	Secure remote terminal
  6	Disable Wayland + dummy Xorg driver	X11 display at 1920×1080
  7	multi-user.target (no GDM)	NoMachine owns the display
  8	XFCE4 + ~/.xsession	Desktop environment ready
  9	NoMachine server + node.cfg	Virtual GUI accessible
  10	UFW + iptables-legacy fix	Firewall active
  11	Reboot test without monitor	Fully headless
  12	NoMachine client → virtual desktop	Full GUI via NX
  13	CUDA PATH	nvcc accessible

  
  
  

  After completing all steps, the Jetson AGX Orin operates entirely without a physical display. SSH provides terminal access and NoMachine provides full XFCE4 desktop access — both available immediately after any reboot, without any physical interaction with the device.

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Platform: NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit 64GB · JetPack 7.2 (L4T r39.2) · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS · NoMachine 9.7.3

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