SSH not available after installing Torizon 7.6.0

Technical Support
,
1

I used tezi to install Torizon 7.6.0 on my new ivy/verdin imx95 system. As per last popped dialogue, installation was successful - also tezi via usb otg/vnc is not available anymore.

However, ssh seems to be not working. I get a connection refused while pinging is working. The ip is correct, this is the only cable connected device in my router.

Any hints?

MacBook-Pro-Dionisis ~ % ssh torizon@192.168.2.114

ssh: connect to host 192.168.2.114 port 22: Connection refused

MacBook-Pro-Dionisis ~ % ping 192.168.2.114

PING 192.168.2.114 (192.168.2.114): 56 data bytes

64 bytes from 192.168.2.114: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=6.457 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.114: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=2.529 ms

2

Hi, I’m the Toradex AI Assistant.

I might make mistakes or occasionally get you wrong. Our support team will step in if needed.

The “Connection refused” error on port 22 indicates that the SSH service isn’t running on your Verdin iMX95 device. This can happen with certain Torizon OS configurations.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Check SSH Service Status

Connect to your device via serial console and verify the SSH service status:

# sudo systemctl status sshd.socket

(1)

2. Check Port 22 Usage

Verify which process is using port 22:

# sudo netstat -tulpn

(1)

Look for :::22 in the output - it should be owned by init since systemd manages the SSH socket through sshd.socket (1).

3. Enable SSH Service

If the SSH service isn’t running, enable and start it:

# sudo systemctl enable ssh
# sudo systemctl start ssh

4. Alternative: Use Remote Access Feature

For Torizon OS 7.x, you can use the Remote Access feature through Torizon Cloud instead of direct SSH. On Torizon OS 7.2.0-devel-202503 and newer, Remote Access Client (RAC) is enabled by default (1).

To enable Remote Access on earlier versions:

# sudo systemctl enable remote-access
# sudo systemctl start remote-access

(1)

Root Filesystem Protection Considerations

If your Torizon 7.6.0 image was built with root filesystem protection enabled, SSH host keys need special handling. The /etc directory becomes volatile, meaning SSH host keys generated at runtime would be lost on reboot (2).

This could cause SSH service startup issues. You can temporarily disable composefs to troubleshoot:

$ sudo fw_setenv tdxargs "cfs.enabled=false"
$ sudo reboot

(2)

After reboot, check if SSH works normally. If it does, the issue is related to root filesystem protection and SSH key persistence.

Next Steps

  1. Try connecting via serial console first to run these diagnostic commands
  2. Check if your image was built with secure boot/root filesystem protection enabled
  3. Consider using Torizon Cloud Remote Access as an alternative to direct SSH

Best regards, Toradex AI Assistant.

Did you like my answer? :+1: :-1:

If I answered your question, please tick the “Solution” checkbox.

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3

I have no way to connect via the serial console, I dont have this cable

4

I understand you don’t have access to a serial console cable. Let me provide alternative solutions for your SSH connection issue with Torizon 7.6.0.

Alternative Solutions Without Serial Access

1. Use Torizon Cloud Remote Access

If your device has internet connectivity, you can use Torizon Cloud’s Remote Access feature instead of direct SSH (1). This doesn’t require any open ports on your device and provides secure remote access.

Steps:

  1. Provision your device to Torizon Cloud using the single command method (2)
  2. Access your account on https://app.torizon.io and go to the Remote Access Manager tab (1)
  3. Add your SSH public key to the Remote Access Manager (1)
  4. Initiate a remote session from the Torizon Cloud interface (1)

2. Check Network Configuration

Since ping works but SSH doesn’t, verify your network setup:

  • Ensure your device obtained the correct IP address via DHCP
  • Check if there are any firewall rules blocking port 22

3. Try Different SSH Connection Methods

Try connecting with verbose output to get more diagnostic information:

ssh -v torizon@192.168.2.114

4. Reinstall with Different Image

If the issue persists, consider reinstalling with a different Torizon OS image that has SSH explicitly enabled, or try using Toradex Easy Installer to flash a known working configuration.

Root Filesystem Protection Consideration

Your Torizon 7.6.0 image might have been built with root filesystem protection enabled, which can cause SSH service issues due to volatile /etc directory behavior (3). This could prevent SSH host keys from being properly generated or persisted.

Recommended Next Steps

  1. Try Torizon Cloud Remote Access - This is the most reliable solution that doesn’t require physical access
  2. Check device connectivity - Ensure your device can reach the internet for Torizon Cloud provisioning
  3. Consider getting a serial cable - For future troubleshooting, having serial console access is invaluable for embedded development

The Remote Access feature provides secure SSH tunneling through Torizon Cloud servers and doesn’t require any open ports on your device (1).

Best regards, Toradex AI Assistant.

Did you like my answer? :+1: :-1:

If I answered your question, please tick the “Solution” checkbox.

For follow-up questions to me, please use @ToradexAI in your post.

5

@ToradexAI i cant access the device thus i cannot run any single command

6

You’re right - without any access to the device, the options are more limited. Here are the available solutions when you cannot access the device at all:

Immediate Solutions Without Device Access

1. Reinstall Torizon OS with Different Configuration

Since you can still access Toradex Easy Installer via USB OTG, you can:

  • Flash a different Torizon OS image variant that has SSH enabled by default
  • Try an earlier Torizon version (like 6.x) to verify if SSH works with that version
  • Use TorizonCore Builder to create a custom image with SSH explicitly enabled(1)

2. Custom Image with TorizonCore Builder

You can create a custom Torizon OS image with SSH service explicitly enabled using the build command(1). This would ensure SSH is available after installation.

3. Physical Console Access Alternatives

  • USB-to-Serial adapter: These are inexpensive and widely available
  • JTAG debugger: If available, can provide console access
  • Recovery mode: Boot into recovery mode via hardware switches if your carrier board supports it

Root Cause Analysis

The “Connection refused” error on a fresh Torizon 7.6.0 installation suggests either:

  • SSH service is not enabled in this particular image variant
  • Root filesystem protection is preventing SSH host key generation(2)
  • The image was built with a secure configuration that disables SSH by default

Recommended Immediate Action

Reinstall with a known working image:

  1. Download a different Torizon OS variant or version from the Toradex feeds
  2. Flash it using Toradex Easy Installer
  3. Test SSH connectivity immediately after installation

If SSH still doesn’t work after trying different image variants, this points to a more fundamental configuration issue that would require either:

  • Serial console access for troubleshooting
  • Creating a custom image with explicit SSH configuration
  • Using Torizon Cloud Remote Access (which requires initial device provisioning)

Unfortunately, without any form of console access, troubleshooting a non-responsive SSH service is quite limited on embedded Linux systems.

Best regards, Toradex AI Assistant.

Did you like my answer? :+1: :-1:

If I answered your question, please tick the “Solution” checkbox.

For follow-up questions to me, please use @ToradexAI in your post.

7

theres no meaningful answer here

  • Toradex 7.6.0 was the only option for imx 95
  • Im trying to exactly avoid reloading tezi. Not sure what it will add anyways - I will end up on the same probem
  • If connecting to the device via serial cable is the only way, are there any instructions? This is an ivy carrier board

How does this ai replier get disabled?

8

Hi @dionisisl!

Could you please try with the hostname instead of the IP address?

If the issue persists, you can check whether the board is getting an IP address. If you know the IP address, run nmap -sn <ip>/<port> with the board powered off, then turn the board on and run it again. It should show an IP address listed (the module’s IP).

Best regards.