How to set up Bluetooth in Linux

With the growing popularity of Bluetooth peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and headsets, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine using the wired version of these devices.

On some Linux distributions, Bluetooth is set up perfectly for you right away. Distributions like Ubuntu and Elementary make it easy to set up and make Bluetooth work on your machine.

However, other distributions like Fedora and Arch Linux do require you to do some setup before you can fully enjoy the benefits of Bluetooth on board. Here is how you can set up Bluetooth in Linux.

How to set up Bluetooth on Linux machine

The steps will vary slightly between distributions, but the basic steps are the same. If your distribution doesn't have Bluetooth set up, you will first need to install Bluez, which contains a driver stack for the Bluetooth adapter as well as utilities for Bluetooth CLI management.

After installing Bluez, you may need to install a Bluetooth manager. Some desktop environments have a built-in Bluetooth manager. For example, KDE Plasma has a KDE Bluetooth client. GNOME also has a built-in client. If you are using a desktop environment without an integrated client, you can install the Blueman application.

How to install Bluez

Below are instructions on how to install Bluez on a number of different distributions.

Debian

sudo apt-get install bluez*

OpenSUSE

With OpenSUSE, you must install Bluez with the Open Build Service.

Fedora

sudo dnf install bluez bluez-tools

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S bluez bluez-utils

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Another package manager

Bluez works with all Linux distributions. If you have a package manager other than the distributions above, don't worry. You'll just need to search for bluez in your package manager, then install everything including the word bluez.

How to install Blueman

Learn how to install Blueman on various Linux distributions below.

Debian

sudo apt-get install blueman

OpenSUSE

sudo zypper install blueman

Fedora

sudo dnf install blueman

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S blueman

Other distributions

To install Blueman on Linux distributions you should search for a package manager in the distribution being used for Blueman and then install all related packages.

Activate Bluetooth

Once installed, you will need to enable and start the Bluetooth service. If you are using a Bluetooth dongle, you will have to run the following command first:

mdprobe btusb

To enable the Bluetooth service, run the following command:

sudo systemctl enable bluetooth.service

To start the Bluetooth service, use the following command:

sudo systemctl start bluetooth.service

After you do this, you should be able to start using Bluetooth on your system.

Connect to the device using Blueman

The connection process will be different depending on the desktop manager you are using. However, the article will show how to do it using Blueman as it represents the process all over.

To connect to a device, open Bluetooth Manager in the app and tap search. Make sure the device you want to connect to can be detected. When you see the device in the list, right-click it and press Connect. You may need to enter a passcode (this information will be included in your device's user guide).

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Marvin Fry

Update 05 October 2020