How to Set Up Bluetooth on Your Linux Machine
The steps will vary a little across distributions, but the basic steps are the same. If your distribution doesn’t already have Bluetooth set up for you, you will first need to install Bluez, which contains the driver stack for Bluetooth adapters as well as utilities for the CLI administration of Bluetooth. After installing Bluez, you may need to install a Bluetooth manager. Some desktop environments have built-in Bluetooth managers. For example, KDE Plasma has the KDE Bluetooth client. Gnome also has a built-in client. If you are using a desktop environment that doesn’t have a built-in client, you can install the Blueman client.
How to Install Bluez
Below are instructions on how to install Bluez on a few different distributions. Debian and Ubuntu OpenSUSE With OpenSUSE, you have to install bluez with the Open Build Service. Fedora Arch Linux Other Package Managers Bluez works with all Linux distributions. If you have a different package manager than the distributions above, have no fear. You will just need to search for bluez in your package manager, then install everything that includes the term bluez.
How to Install Blueman
Find out how to install Blueman on various Linux distributions below. Debian and Ubuntu OpenSUSE Fedora Arch Linux Other Distributions To install Blueman on your Linux distributions, you should search the package manager in the distribution being used for Blueman, then install all of the relevant packages.
Enable Bluetooth
After installation, you will need to activate and start the Bluetooth service. If you are using a Bluetooth dongle, you will first have to run the following command: To enable the Bluetooth service, run the following command: To start the Bluetooth service, use this command: After doing this, you’ll be able to start using Bluetooth on your system.
Connect to Devices Using Blueman
The connection process will vary depending on the desktop manager you’re using. However, we show how it’s done using Blueman since it’s fairly representative of the process across the board. To connect to a device, open “Bluetooth Manager” in your applications and hit search. Make sure that the device you want to connect to is discoverable. When you see it in the device list, right-click on it and hit “Connect.” You may have to enter a passcode, but this information will be in the user’s manual of your device.
Set up Bluetooth Devices in GNOME Linux
Gnome comes with Bluetooth support from the start, and you can easily set up Bluetooth devices without installing any other tools. One important thing to note, however, is that the six-digit PIN will only show up on non-peripheral devices, as GNOME will automatically pair with any Bluetooth keyboard and headphones.
Connect to Bluetooth Devices in KDE Plasma
It is also possible to set up Bluetooth out of the box through the Plasma desktop in Linux.
Set Up the Bluetooth CLI Utility in Linux
It is also possible to connect a device through a dedicated Bluetooth CLI utility, a program that comes with Bluez that allows you to pair and control devices straight from your command line. It can be especially useful for devices that do not have a display, such as Raspberry Pi. One important thing to note, however, is that unlike the methods described above you need to type the PIN displayed on the device. Image credit: Unsplash, altered by Ramces Red. All screenshots by Ramces Red One way to fix this is by telling bluetoothctl to force your computer to be discoverable by running the following command: sudo bluetoothctl discoverable on. This is partly due to how Linux manages data through USB, as well as how PulseAudio interprets that same data. Some USB peripherals such as mice and keyboards tend to crowd the USB bus, leaving the audio receiver waiting for those peripherals to finish which, in turn, stutters the audio.
