Bluez

Created onsdag 28 december 2016

Installation

# Install the following packages
$ pacman -S bluez bluez-utils bluez-libs

# Modprobe the bluetooth driver
$ modprobe btusb

# Then start the bluetooth service whenever needed
$ systemctl start bluetooth.service

Usage

# Open the bluetooth interactive shell
$ bluetoothctl

# You can always run help in this shell, to list all commands^

# Power on the controller (off by default)
$ power on

# If the device is NOT already on your list, begin a scan
$ scan on

# To get a list of all your registered devices
$ devices

# Once you've found your device, pair it (You can <tab> complete)
$ pair <MAC_ADDRESS>

# If using a device without a PIN, trust the device to be able to reconnect
$ trust <MAC_ADDRESS>

# Then connect to the device
$ connect <MAC_ADDRESS>

Troubleshoot

# I've encountered quite a few issues with Bluetooth. Here's the fixes I've come about.

Not being able to power on the bluetooth device, or device not found in bluetoothctl

# Failed to set power on: org.bluez.Error.Blocked (bluetoothctl)
# You can check and see, if the device is up/down
$ hciconfig

# And be able to turn the device on with
$ hciconfig hci0 up

# But you might get a 'Can't init device hci0: Operation not possible due to RF-kill (132)'
# This means some software is blocking the device.. Great
# We're be able to check further with rfkill
# rfkill is a package that can manage wireless devices
$ pacman -S rfkill

# Running rfkill might give you an output like this

# Unblock it
# Note the index no. above, in this example it's 0 (zero)
$ rfkill unblock 0