this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2024
15 points (89.5% liked)

Linux

48838 readers
1515 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.ml
nooter692@lemmy.ml
MarcellusDrum@lemmy.ml
cypherpunks@lemmy.ml
cyclohexane@lemmy.ml
d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz
15
Mint - Bluetooth Issues (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 days ago by Cold_Brew_Enema@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml
14 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Hello,

I am not able to figure out whatever bluetooth issues I am having. None of my devices stay connected and will never reconnect once disconnected. I have a pair of WH-XM4 and they will not stay connected. Here is what I tried so far:

Reinstall BlueZ

Check for blocking with rfkill

Restart Bluetooth, but I just get this error "Bluez Daemon is not running, blueman-manager cannot continue"

I'm at my wits end. Please help.

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

My experience with Bluetooth support in Linux is: you're either using one of the very few problem-free BT controllers and it works okay most of the time, or you have more or less problems all of the time.

The least problematic controllers I own are ASUS USB-BT500. The most problematic are ASUS USB-BT400 and Realtek RTL8821CE.

The state of Bluetooth in Linux is completely terrible, it has been for many, many years and it's hardly getting any better. Bluez, like Pulseaudio, needs to die, and sooner rather than later.

[–] Cold_Brew_Enema@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Lol well I am using BT400 dongle, so that doesn't bode too well. As a new user, why is Bluetooth so bad? Don't love Windows, but at least Bluetooth is painless over there, for the most part

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

A lot of those BT adapters are cheap shit. Like the aforementioned RTL8821CE: it's a nasty hack to do wifi and BT using a single 2.4 GHz transponder. But here's the thing: however bad they are, they're made to work well in Windows - possibly with a lot of awful engineering shortcuts and hackery, but in the end, Windows users will never know and that's the point.

When open-source developers try to make equivalent Linux drivers without documentation or help from the manufacturer, reverse-engineering their way around the general crappiness of the products, you get... well, not very good drivers. And it really is nobody's fault but the unhelpful adapter's manufacturer.

So there is that, and the general bugginess on BlueZ on top of it.

[–] Cold_Brew_Enema@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Thanks for the added context. That makes sense

[–] eugenia@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 days ago

Buy a supported usb bt dongle, they're tiny. Better than fighting with models that don't work well.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

The most problematic are ASUS USB-BT400 and Realtek RTL8821CE

Can confirm. The Realtek adapter in my HP laptop is a major PITA. Both BT & wifi have problems that I've only able to partially resolve.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

BlueZ has/had some problematic issues with connectivity. Bazzite and other distros had problems a few months ago that sound awfully similar to what you're experiencing. I'm not as familiar with how Mint handles packages (like if they have their own repos with specific package versions), but it might be that your specific version is behind the fixes.

[–] Cold_Brew_Enema@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Hello, thanks for the response. I might have found the issue. Running dmesg I saw some errors, so I realized I never downloaded a driver for the Bluetooth dongle I've been using. I did and rebooted and now I don't see the error anymore and my headphones are working.

I do appreciate the response. I want to daily drive linux and never go back to windows

[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 3 points 5 days ago

You'll get there.

I've been doing it for over 25 years and although it's been hard at times, I've never regretted it.

[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 5 points 5 days ago

You need to check the various logs, dmesg, syslog and probably manually start the services on a command line to see what errors they produce.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I have similar problems with devices disconnecting from my Realtek BT/wifi card. I was able to significantly reduce (but not completely eliminate) the problems by disabling power management for the BT adapter's associated USB port.

[–] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 4 days ago

I agree with everyone saying just to get a new dongle. It's not worth the headache spending hours trying to get one to work when you can get one that'll work much better for pretty cheap. When i got my current laptop i specifically got a model that has ubuntu support from the manufacturer even tho i don't run ubuntu. Because all the hardware in it will atleast be decently linux compatible if they want to ship it with ubuntu sometimes.

Also Mint is typically pretty good about drivers so if its not working on Mint then yeah its gonna be a pain to fix is my guess.

[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 1 points 5 days ago

Mint has been the most particular distro for bluetooth for me. I noticed there is a difference between "connecting" and "pairing". I have to "pair" the first time my device is connected and then "connect" every subsequent time. If I pair the device to another computer I have to re-pair on Mint.

[–] hlqxz@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 days ago

I have several issues getting Bluetooth to work on my machine as well. I ended up getting a Linux compatible Bluetooth dongle and using bluetoothctl for managing connections. It's still a very manual way to connect my headphones to my machine but I still prefer it over wires.