Skype, Bluetooth and Intrepid

[Halow]

I have to say I'm quite happy that Bluetooth in Intrepid has a discovery mode. I got a Bluetooth dongle just days before release, hoping I'd get a feel for it first. Under Hardy, that didn't go so well. In Intrepid, things paired quite nicely. Now, with a little work, I've gotten Skype and my Bluetooth headset to work together - for only the first call. All subsequent calls give the wonderful "Problem with Audio playback" error, regardless of whether I continue to use the headset or set it back to my mini-jack headset in the audio options of Skype. In order to use the Bluetooth headset for another call I have to un-pair and re-pair, then restart the entire system.

There has to be an easier way! I've tried exiting and re-entering Skype, doing $ sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart, restarting only the session. I'm really not sure which service is to blame for this misbehavior (bluetooth or Skype... could even be PulseAudio for all I know). Any help narrowing it down would be wonderful (so at least I can hunt down the bug and submit/report it affecting me).

[Halow]

After some more putzing around with it, I've noticed that it's creating multiple instances of EsounD client in PulseAudio Manager (Clients tab). I'm getting the impression that the headset is continuing to communicate with Skype (and PA) even after the call is finished. I'm no wiz at debugging, but would love to give more info if it would help (and I knew how).

I am truly stumped.

[peyu]

Hi Hallow,

Using Intrepid, I'm trying to get working a logitech bluetooth headset, I can get it recognized and paired with the bluetooth tool that appears in the notify bar, but then I don't know what to do next... I chose in Skype Options the headset sound device, but it doesn't work...

I suppose I'm missing something, can you explain in details how you get it working ?

Thanks.

[Halow]

I keep toying with it....

Unpairing and repairing the headset, restarting Skype, restarting the bluetooth service and restarting the computer in different orders. Sometimes I get Audio Playback errors, sometimes just loads of static to the other Skype user, and sometimes it actually works. The problem is, I'm starting to get the idea that this is more Bluetooth/Skype's fault than anything else.

My dongle comes up as (in lsusb): Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)
My headset is a Plantronics Explorer 220.
Skype version 2.0.0.72 (from the medibuntu repos).

[remu]

I believe I am having the same problem. I can see my headset through the wizard, and it says it configured it correctly, but then after that I do npt know what to do. I tried to click the connect button, but nothing happens. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Halow]

Are you using the headset for Skype? You should have the option in Skype to set it to "headset" in the Sound Options where you have Sound Out and Sound In.

[Halow]

UPDATE!:

I compiled (with only a minimum of hair pulling) the latest version of Bluez from their site, version 4.18. Now, running the following after each call will make it so that I can answer the next one on my headset:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

Not a total fix, but a vast improvement (for me). Let me know if this helps (or doesn't) for anybody else.

[zoly]

Hi Halow! I think something is not OK with PulseAudio and Skype. (As Skype is an ALSA-program) Somewhere on the web there is a kind of solution, may be on PulseAudio wiki-site, I don't remember... anyway: I've done everything according to the instruction there, using 8.04, but it did not work for me, don't know why... Now, I'm starting the same way with 8.10, if I'll find the website again I've just starting, I'll report what happened, later.

[markbuntu]

The thread for getting skype to work with pulseaudio in Hardy is here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=937323

Since nobody will tell me if this works with Intrepid or what changes may be needed. I am unable to update it. (I have not had any success getting Intrepid to boot on my machine so I am unable to test this myself.) Your help would be appreciated.

[Halow]

That's the thing. Skype worked just fine by default in Intrepid (with PA too) - with my wired, mic/headphone headset. There seems to be some miscommunication going on either with Bluez or Skype in which it doesn't stop communicating with the Bluetooth headset.

On some of my failed calls routed through the Bluetooth headset Skype will not exit until I've restarted Bluetooth service.