NVIDIA’s SDK Manager [1] runs on Noble Numbat [2]. It is designed to install JetPack on NVIDIA Jetson devices, which are typically used for edge computing and AI applications. The SDK Manager provides a convenient way to set up the necessary software and drivers for Jetson devices.
The SDK manager does not allow installation of version 6.2.x JetPack on Ubuntu 24; it fails the compatibility matrix. It does work, however—albeit with a little spoofing.
OS release spoofing
Change the version identifier from 24.04 to 22.04 in /etc/os-release;
thus faking Ubuntu Jammy on an Ubuntu Noble release. This is the only
change needed. NVIDIA’s SDK manager only checks this single release
identifier, even though many other version key-value pairs reflect the
actual truth.
Temporarily edit the file using a preferred editor, launch the SDK manager, then revert the changes after selecting the initial installation step.
VERSION_ID="22.04"This works around the compatibility prescription, at least for the current SDK manager version 2.4.0 in February 2026. Future versions may check more than one key-value pair, so this workaround may not be future-proof. It is a hack, but it works for now.
Snappy
One more word of warning: Be cautious when installing applications using Snap.
JetPack is a minimal Ubuntu distribution. Snap downloads from the Snap Store over TLS, which requires valid, up-to-date certificates, a proper DNS setup, and appropriate firewall rules. It also maintains multiple revisions via SquashFS mounts, which consume disk space and may cause boot or update failures, especially on embedded systems. Minimal operating systems often lack or hide necessary components, resulting in broken installations or hangs. Take care.