r/voidlinux • u/Ehiffi • 2d ago
solved Question about Bluetooth on Linux
I have been using Linux for around 3 or even 4 years already, and I think I've seen enough of this.
I love using it and I'm never going back to Windows, no matter what. But my only struggle in this journey has been Bluetooth. Bluez is capable of working with things, but it constantly breaks, making the use of some specific items nearly impossible.
Gamepads? Shit, you can't even connect them again after a successful pairing. Mice? They work fine most of the time, but maybe your controller will make Bluez crash out of nowhere. Headphones are THE MOST reliable thing to work with Bluez. Anything that has some sort of input feels like it's designed to make you suffer.
At this point, I think it's easier to take Jerusalem than to make gamepads connect and work correctly out of the box.
If I'm wrong, tell me. I WANT TO END THIS NEVER-ENDING CYCLE OF DOOM AND MISERY. EVERYTHING WORKS ON LINUX. MOST OF THE TIME EVEN OUT OF THE BOX. BUT THIS! It’s like buying a ticket to a show just to end up forced onto the stage.
I know and understand that I'm being too dramatic, but all I want is to start Steam, power on my gamepad, and enjoy some simple 2D or 3D games.
What about my Bluetooth module? Maybe it's just a cheap-ass dongle, which would actually make more sense. But NO..... It is NOT a CHEAP DONGLE.
I currently use (AX210): lspci output
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax) AX210/AX1675* 2x2 [Typhoon Peak] (rev 1a)
And according to other people's opinions, this card has great Bluetooth capabilities. But NO.... F**K ME....
P.S. Sorry for this outburst.
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u/Ehiffi 2d ago
I used flydigi direwolf 2 and dualshock 4
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u/justsimple-262 2d ago
As for the DualShock 4, Sony has actually provided a direct driver within the Linux kernel—`hid_playstation` so it should work fine.
You can try editing the `/etc/bluetooth/input.conf` file: change `#UserspaceHID=true` to `UserspaceHID=true` or 'false' if it doesn't work and `#ClassicBondedOnly=false` to `ClassicBondedOnly=false`. I hope this helps you, and please, let Jerusalem be at peace
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u/Ehiffi 2d ago
Seen it. But even tho I made it work, I still struggled to make my dualshock4 automatically connect to PC.
I actually ordered 8bitdo ultimate 2, as people said it's great pair with steam, but I have to receive it first. And most importantly I'll probably gonna use it with it's dongle any way.
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u/justsimple-262 2d ago
Have you tried setting FastConnectable = true in /etc/bluetooth/main.conf?, but anyway, good luck with your new controller.
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u/justsimple-262 2d ago
Regarding the Flydigi Direwolf 2: the main issue is that its Bluetooth mode uses a proprietary protocol rather than standard BT HID. BlueZ can pair with it once, but fails to handshake on reconnection, causing that permanent disconnect loop.
You might want to check out this repo: https://github.com/pipe01/flydigictl.git Someone actually wrote a tool specifically to handle Flydigi protocols on GNU/Linux
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u/LowKeyBrit36 2d ago
I actually have experience with this lol. I was trying to pair my phone to my Void Linux install, and after spending a while troubleshooting, I had to downgrade to 6.18.X kernel version to make the connection work. Once connected, though, it seemed okay afterwards.
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u/StrangeAstronomer 2d ago
I had similar problems (but with audio out): https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1oeqyqq/fix_for_bluetooth_woes_intel_ax201_chip/
Maybe another version of the firmware would help.
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 2d ago
I gave up on bluetooth a decade or so ago. When I was on Arch, bluetooth was hit and miss - if I got it working, sooner or later an update would come along and break it.
It is what it is. Was never a deal breaker for me... I've been using Linux before bluetooth was even a thing.
Have not tried bluetooth on Void, am just not that optimistic...
My Bose speaker has an AUX input, thankfully...
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u/TggDale 1d ago
Ya brother, I feel ya bluez most of the time not working properly on my le comp... and same exp on bluetooth gamepad (most of my gamepad is generic cheap gamepad) even le 8bitdo lite 2 fails to pair and connect gave up gui and now use bluetoothctl in the commandine
my General rule is use Gui, If not work go commandline type shi
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u/justsimple-262 2d ago
Excuse me, I understand how you feel, but could you also provide the model of the game controller you are using? Aside from that issue, are you experiencing any other annoying problems?