AWS releases developer bootloader for DeepRacer custom OS installs
Extend your DeepRacer's life with custom Ubuntu 24.04 and ROS2 Jazzy.
Deep Dive
AWS has released a developer bootloader for DeepRacer autonomous race cars, enabling custom OS installation beyond stock Ubuntu 16.04/20.04. Based on the open-source shim project, it supports self-service certificate management, visual developer mode indicators (Morse code lights, HDMI warning), and is completely reversible. The community has already created a custom distribution with Ubuntu 24.04 and ROS2 Jazzy, prioritizing racing performance by removing non-essential packages. This extends device utility for ML experimentation.
Key Points
- Bootloader based on open-source shim enables self-service certificate management with OpenSSL and sbsign
- Visual developer mode indicators: Morse code on built-in lights plus HDMI warning with boot delay
- Community already ships Ubuntu 24.04/ROS2 Jazzy distribution optimized for racing, fully reversible to stock
Why It Matters
Extends DeepRacer hardware utility with modern OS support, enabling continued ML research and community innovation.