3-1 Basic Knowledge
Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we'll guide you through the overall boot process of the Pandora system. You'll also learn how to successfully login to its default Ubuntu graphical desktop environment.
By the end of this chapter, you'll have the basic skills to operate this desktop environment and a preliminary understanding of its interface configuration and functionalities. This will be really helpful for your future system operations and development.
Pandora Boot Process
When your Pandora development board is powered on and starts up, it first executes UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). This firmware interface is responsible for initializing various hardware components like the CPU, memory, storage devices, and USB ports. It then searches for a suitable boot device to launch the operating system.
In some cases, you might need to enter the UEFI menu and manually select the boot device. This most commonly happens when the CMOS battery runs out, causing the boot order to become abnormal and preventing the system from starting normally.
Once the UEFI initialization is complete, Pandora loads the Bootloader. This bootloader then further loads the Linux kernel and the Ubuntu user space. After that, the system will bring you to the Ubuntu graphical login interface, where you can enter your username and password to start using it.
Pandora's Ubuntu desktop environment is similar to what you'd find on a regular PC. However, it's optimized by NVIDIA and comes with built-in support for acceleration packages like CUDA, TensorRT, deep learning, and image processing. This makes it ideal for AI and embedded application development.
UEFI Settings (Don't modify if it boots normally)
When your Pandora development board powers on, it first enters the UEFI phase. During this time, you have a couple of options:
1. Press F11 to open the Boot Menu and choose which device to boot from (like a USB drive or SSD).
2. Press the ESC key to enter the UEFI setup screen, where you can make detailed system settings (such as boot order or device enable/disable status).
Boot Screen
(F11) Boot device selection menu
(ESC) UEFI screen
Logging In to the System
Once your Pandora development board completes its boot sequence, you'll be presented with the Ubuntu graphical login interface. If you're using the official JetPack image, the default username is pandora and the password is also pandora (or whatever you set during the flashing process).
login screen
login screen (password)
System Interface Overview
The Pandora development board uses Ubuntu's GNOME desktop environment by default, offering an intuitive graphical interface. Here's a breakdown of its main features:
1. Clicking on the time and date in the top center expands the notification center.
2. Click the NVIDIA icon in the top right corner to switch Pandora's Power Mode.
3. The "Show Applications" button opens a list of installed applications.
4. The Dock toolbar on the left side displays frequently used applications.
Top: Notification Area
Top Right: Power Profile
Left: Dock Area
"Show Applications" Button and Its screen
More about Pandora or Jetson can be found in the official documentation