connect to bluetooth mouse fails

[Jason Kraftcheck]

Binary package hint: bluez-gnome

Right-click on "Bluetooth Manager" applet, select "Browse Devices", select mouse, click "Connect"

I originally go the error: "obex://[ma:ca:dd:re:ss]". is not a valid location

I tried the fix described in Bug #138356 -- installing gnome-vfs-obexftp.

I now get the error: Couldn't display "obex://[ma:ca:dd:re:ss]".

Both of these are troubling, as I rather doubt communication w/ the mouse is done via OBEX.

[BullCreek (jeff-openenergy)]

I'm seeing this also with trying to pair to a Jabra BT-150 headset. As the previous post says, installing gnome-vfs-obexftp doesn't solve the problem - it just changes the error message.

[Bengt Thuree (bengt-thuree)]

Just confirming I have the same issue.

[Josh Allmann (josh-all)]

Same here, with a Dell Bluetooth keyboard.

[Matt LaPaglia (mlapaglia)]

Same problem with a Logitech M-RBB93

[pittipatti (pittipatti)]

Actually "Browse Devices" means browsing the contents of a ftpobex-device like e.g. a mobile phone.

For connecting HID-devices follow these steps:
  1.(a) right-click "Bluetooth-Manager-Applet", select "preferences"
or
  1.(b) from "system-menu/settings" chose "bluetooth preferences"

 2. select "services"

 3. select "input service"

 4. press connect-button of your device

 5. press "add"

 6. select your device

 7. press "connect"

[Jason Kraftcheck (kraftche)]

pittipatti wrote:
> Actually "Browse Devices" means browsing the contents of a ftpobex-
> device like e.g. a mobile phone.
>
> For connecting HID-devices follow these steps:
> 1.(a) right-click "Bluetooth-Manager-Applet", select "preferences"
> or
> 1.(b) from "system-menu/settings" chose "bluetooth preferences"
>
> 2. select "services"
>
> 3. select "input service"
>
> 4. press connect-button of your device
>
> 5. press "add"
>
> 6. select your device
>
> 7. press "connect"
>

Wow. That's a really confusing interface. I had assumed that
"preferences" would be behavior changes for the Bluetooth-Manager-Applet,
not settings for all things bluetooth related. And I never would have
thought to look under "services" to connect to a mouse. Is there some
technical limitation that prevents the applet from working the way myself
and many others thought it did: just present a list of detected bluetooth
devices and when told to connect, do the appropriate thing for the type of
device?

--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Jason Kraftcheck (kraftche)]

I think if a few of the menu items we're renamed, this applet would be
much less confusing:

 1) "preferences"->"configuration" on right-click menu
 2) "services"->"devices" on tab in bluetooth "preferences" window
 3) "connect"->"browse" on button in "browse devices" window

[Matt LaPaglia (mlapaglia)]

i agree with pitt, the user interface is a bit confusing.

[Matt LaPaglia (mlapaglia)]

sorry, i meant i agree with jason. that did fix my problem though, my mouse works correctly after following pitt's instructions.

[Matt LaPaglia (mlapaglia)]

there are still a lot of issues with bluetooth and gutsy. I've turned to disabling all bluetooth dock programs and using the configuration file to auto discover my device.

blueman didn't work either.

[jhmos (jhmos)]

I also found that sequence non-obvious trying to get my bluetooth mouse working using the GUI.
Also, including Hardy Beta, I found that it would not work with the default packages installed on the i386 desktop install. I also had to add bluetooth and gnome-bluetooth packages. I have not worked out why they are needed. That same trick did not work when I installed Hardy Beta amd64 desktop on the same system. Those two extra packages were not enough, I installed just about everything listed in Synaptic as bluetooth related, then it worked! No idea which package actually made the difference. If anyone can give me a hint what else to try, I will do further testing. Be nice if it 'just worked'.

That is on a Dell Inspiron 6400 using the inbuilt bluetooth interface and trying to use a Logitech MX1000 bluetooth mouse.

[Martin Lindhe (martinlindhe)]

I think the most intuitive way to "solve" this bug would be to change the default selection options from the Browse Devices.. menu (from right-clicking Bluetooth icon)

Change it from the current "Device type: all types" etc into something more abstractly named like "My devices", "All devices", "Storage" or something.
* My devices: All bonded devices
* All devices: Everything visible (like current default)
* Storage: Show all devices that provide the bluetooth feature necessary for browsing them for files.

And show Storage as default since it is what you can use the browse feature for, right?

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

The 4.x stack that has entered intrepid changes the experience for connecting to the mouse. Use the bluetooth wizard and you won't have these failures.

[shiversc (shiversc)]

My mouse "Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000" don't connect automatically after reboot. After delete the mouse in the bluetooth-manager, i can reconnect manually.