Bluetooth dongle not working

jt1122 · 07-16-2022, 06:56 AM

Hi,

I have a generic unbranded BT dongle which isn't working.

Code:

lsusb|grep -i Blue
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0a12:0001 Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)

Using Debian testing with a recent kernel:
uname -a

Code:

Linux PC 5.16.0-1-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT Debian 5.16.7-2 (2022-02-09) x86_64 GNU/Linux

lsmod|grep -i bt

Code:

btusb                  65536  0
btrtl                  28672  1 btusb
btbcm                  20480  1 btusb
btintel                45056  1 btusb
bluetooth             765952  12 btrtl,btintel,btbcm,bnep,btusb
btrfs                1667072  0
xor                    24576  1 btrfs
raid6_pq              122880  1 btrfs
zstd_compress         311296  1 btrfs
libcrc32c              16384  4 nf_conntrack,nf_nat,btrfs,nf_tables
usbcore               327680  9 xhci_hcd,ehci_pci,usbhid,r8712u,usb_storage,ehci_hcd,btusb,xhci_pci,uas

systemctl status bluetooth:

Code:

● bluetooth.service - Bluetooth service
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sat 2022-07-16 14:37:54 IDT; 7min ago
       Docs: man:bluetoothd(8)
   Main PID: 515 (bluetoothd)
     Status: "Running"
      Tasks: 1 (limit: 9332)
     Memory: 2.8M
        CPU: 24ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/bluetooth.service
             └─515 /usr/libexec/bluetooth/bluetoothd

Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEScanIntervalConnect” in group “Con>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEScanWindowConnect” in group “Contr>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEMinConnectionInterval” in group “C>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEMaxConnectionInterval” in group “C>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEConnectionLatency” in group “Contr>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEConnectionSupervisionTimeout” in g>
Jul 16 14:37:52 acc bluetoothd[515]: src/main.c:parse_controller_config() Key file does not have key “LEAutoconnecttimeout” in group “Cont>
Jul 16 14:37:54 acc systemd[1]: Started Bluetooth service.
Jul 16 14:37:54 acc bluetoothd[515]: Starting SDP server
Jul 16 14:37:54 acc bluetoothd[515]: Bluetooth management interface 1.21 initialized

I've removed blueman so only "bluetooth" service is running:
systemctl list-unit-files|grep blue

Code:

bluetooth.service                          enabled         enabled
dbus-org.bluez.service                     alias           -
bluetooth.target                           static          -

bluetoothctl:

Code:

Agent registered
[bluetooth]# show
No default controller available

so no controller is detected.

I've installed linux-firware & I'm a member of group "bluetooth".

Any suggestions?.

Thanks

fixer1234 · 07-18-2022, 02:10 PM

Did the bluetooth dongle originally work and then stopped working, or it never worked? Can you plug it into another computer to verify that the dongle is functional?

rayfward · 07-18-2022, 04:18 PM

It may just that the devices is switched off. Bluetoothctl from a command line is used to control bluetooth devices. If nothing else this should work.
I'm new to this as I'm trying to control a smart watch and still fiddling around with the commands.
From a shell :-
Bluetoothctl
power on
exit

jiteshpandey · 07-19-2022, 02:35 AM

Have you tried looking into dmesg or journalctl, sometime it gives some valuable response while pluggin and unplugging the device.

jt1122 · 07-19-2022, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fixer1234

Did the bluetooth dongle originally work and then stopped working, or it never worked? Can you plug it into another computer to verify that the dongle is functional?

Thanks. The dongle wasn't tested on another machine but it lights up just fine when plugged-in & it's recognized in lsusb so doesn't seem to be defective.

jt1122 · 07-19-2022, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayfward

It may just that the devices is switched off. Bluetoothctl from a command line is used to control bluetooth devices. If nothing else this should work.
I'm new to this as I'm trying to control a smart watch and still fiddling around with the commands.
From a shell :-
Bluetoothctl
power on
exit

Thanks. It lights up (blue LED flashing) when plugged in so doesn't seem to be off.

jt1122 · 07-19-2022, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiteshpandey

Have you tried looking into dmesg or journalctl, sometime it gives some valuable response while pluggin and unplugging the device.

Thanks.

Code:

dmesg|grep -i -e bt -e bluetooth

didn't find anything relevant.

rokytnji · 07-19-2022, 10:12 AM

Any firmware missing?

Code:

 sudo dmesg | grep firmware

any other blockage?

Code:

rfkill list all

also. Running bluetooth gui started from command line might shed some light also.

jt1122 · 07-19-2022, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

Any firmware missing?

Code:

 sudo dmesg | grep firmware

any other blockage?

Code:

rfkill list all

also. Running bluetooth gui started from command line might shed some light also.

Thanks.

dmesg|grep firmware:

Code:

[   21.932618] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[   22.007630] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[   22.638339] usb 4-1.3: r8712u: Loading firmware from "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin"
[   22.693107] usb 4-1.3: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin
[   44.401263] r8169 0000:01:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtl_nic/rtl8168e-3.fw
[13136.892229] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[13136.900564] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[13144.889384] usb 4-1.3: r8712u: Loading firmware from "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin"
[14717.081184] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[14717.081202] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[14725.025465] usb 4-1.3: r8712u: Loading firmware from "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin"
[20318.538277] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[20318.538280] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[20326.545533] usb 4-1.3: r8712u: Loading firmware from "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin"
[25540.258244] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[25540.258262] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[30975.546426] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[30975.546427] (NULL device *): firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[30983.362649] usb 4-1.3: r8712u: Loading firmware from "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin"

rfkill list all
returns nothing.

rokytnji · 07-19-2022, 04:30 PM

That's weird. Maybe it isn't installed?

Code:

@biker:~
$ rfkill list all
0: dell-wifi: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
2: hci0: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
$ apt-cache policy rfkill
rfkill:
  Installed: 2.36.1-8+deb11u1
  Candidate: 2.36.1-8+deb11u1
  Version table:
 *** 2.36.1-8+deb11u1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
@biker:~

jt1122 · 07-20-2022, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

That's weird. Maybe it isn't installed?

Code:

@biker:~
$ rfkill list all
0: dell-wifi: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
2: hci0: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
$ apt-cache policy rfkill
rfkill:
  Installed: 2.36.1-8+deb11u1
  Candidate: 2.36.1-8+deb11u1
  Version table:
 *** 2.36.1-8+deb11u1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
@biker:~

Thanks, but it's installed:

Code:

apt policy rfkill
rfkill:
  Installed: 2.38-4
  Candidate: 2.38-4
  Version table:
 *** 2.38-4 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian testing/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

but still no output:

Code:

$rfkill list all
$

jt1122 · 07-23-2022, 04:17 AM

bumping.

camorri · 07-23-2022, 08:25 AM

rfkill is a module. Is it loaded?

To find out, run lsmod | grep blue

Here is what I see with the same usb dongle.

Quote:

lsmod | grep blue
bluetooth 507904 39 btrtl,btintel,btbcm,bnep,btusb,rfcomm
ecdh_generic 16384 1 bluetooth
rfkill 32768 5 bluetooth

And here is the module:

Quote:

locate rfkill.ko
/lib/modules/5.15.38/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/amilo-rfkill.ko
/lib/modules/5.15.38/kernel/net/rfkill/rfkill.ko

This is on Slackware 15.0, the path to the module for you will vary on kernel version. If its not loaded, and you have the module, run modprobe rfkill.

rfkill should tell us if you have a soft or hard block on the device.

jt1122 · 07-23-2022, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camorri

rfkill is a module. Is it loaded?

To find out, run lsmod | grep blue

Here is what I see with the same usb dongle.

And here is the module:

This is on Slackware 15.0, the path to the module for you will vary on kernel version. If its not loaded, and you have the module, run modprobe rfkill.

rfkill should tell us if you have a soft or hard block on the device.

Thanks.

rfkill was loaded. Just in case I've reloaded with modprobe but still no output:

Code:

rfkill list all

nothing is listed.

This is what's loaded for BT:

Code:

lsmod|grep -i -e bt -e blue
btrfs                1667072  0
xor                    24576  1 btrfs
raid6_pq              122880  1 btrfs
zstd_compress         311296  1 btrfs
libcrc32c              16384  4 nf_conntrack,nf_nat,btrfs,nf_tables

camorri · 07-23-2022, 10:42 AM

It appears you do not have any bluetooth modules loaded. Here is what I see:

Quote:

lsmod | grep blue
bluetooth 507904 39 btrtl,btintel,btbcm,bnep,btusb,rfcomm
ecdh_generic 16384 1 bluetooth
rfkill 32768 5 bluetooth

Re-run the command just looking for blue, nothing more. What you are seeing is just file system stuff.