Maverick bluetooth keyboard/mouse problem

[sherbey]

I have a small media centre pc running mythtv under lucid, and I use a bluetooth keyboard/trackpad with it with no issues; I'm in the process of setting up another such box with maverick and although I can get the keyboard to pair and work, when I reboot the pc I can't get the keyboard to connect. I have to delete the pairing and re-pair. This renders the wireless keyboard completely useless. A friend of mine has the same issue with similar hardware.
Clean install of 64 bit 10.10 ubuntu, logitech cordless mediaboard pro, generic bluetooth usb device.

How do I make the bluetooth connection persistent?

[bric]

I've installed Maverick on a new htpc for my parents and yes, same issue. It's with the 32bit version (I think...hard to recall now, it was several weeks ago that I actually installed before getting the keyboard by mail).

Anyhow, same issue. I pair in this manner:

Run through the wizard, type the pin on the bluetooth keyboard, happily read the success message, enter the pin again into a second pop up (dialogue) box with the WIRED keyboard because the bluetooth isn't actually working. Then remove the keyboard, run the wizard again, type the pin with the bluetooth keyboard, read the success message, and it works! This time without the second dialogue box. Now I can use the bluetooth keyboard.

If I reboot (or leave it alone for a while --- 30+ min this time), then I have to restart the whole process. Remove the keyboard, possibly reboot, then proceed as described above.

Once after rebooting I got the same 'second' popup asking for the pin again but I wasn't sure which pin (the first or the second) and I couldn't remember them anyway. And I can't reliably summon that 'second' popup box after reboot so the point is moot (not worth trying to find out if one of the pins will work).

For reference, the 'second' dialog says, "Device 'Logitech Cordless MediaBoard Pro(TM)' wants to pair with this computer" and "Please enter the pin mentioned on device Logitech Cordless Mediaboard Pro (mac address here)".

Does this sound the same as for you? Or does it pair in a nicer fashion for you?

[Raven2k360]

Seriously, WTH did they do with the kernel in the 10.xx releases??? Bluetooth worked perfectly in 9.10 for me, no muss no fuss...never had to set it up once...now I can't get it to work in any v10 release, or any current Fedora release (13+).

[sherbey]

I don't remember having to type the password in more than once (using the bluetooth keyboard). Once the connection is lost I can click on the gnome bluetooth widget, hit preferences and the keyboard is there (obviously using a wired mouse/kb), but it can't seem to be coaxed back to life without deleting it and running through the 'set up new device' mechanism.
This is bordering on a showstopper; its not the first time (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...14&postcount=8) I've had working hardware on an older version of ubuntu borked by a newer version - though this time there seems to be no work-around I can find.

[bric]

You're lucky at least that you don't have to go through quite the same rigamarole to just make it connect in the first place (adding, removing, adding again just to get it working). I'm mildly envious.

However, I agree, a near showstopper.

Once I have time to get round to my parents place (a fair possibility this Christmas season) I'm going to see if I can file a bug on Launchpad. I'll post back here when I've done it.

[icefest]

I can confirm that I am getting the same message as bric Except I cannot get it to pair at all.
Maverrick 10.10
eeepc 1000HE
Dell bluetooth keyboard.

[bric]

Hi icefest, I went through a couple bluetooth keyboards trying to get them to work on my parents' htpc (an apple and my own dell bluetooth from home). Neither one worked for me. I was able to pair the bluetooth mouse from dell but not the keyboard. Got that second dialogue box popping up and wasn't successful after that... though I don't know if I repeatedly removed and tried again as I did with this logitech.

Anyhow, I know repeatedly removing/adding eventually gets this mediaboard pro paired and working. It just doesn't stay connected.

Sigh. Let us know if you get anywhere.

[sherbey]

This feature seems to be linked to a fresh install of maverick; I've got a Compaq 311c with built-in bluetooth that had lucid on it and has been upgraded to maverick; works fine with the logitech mediaboard pro - it connects, it works OK when you reboot the computer and when the screensaver kicks in. I've also got an eee 701, which has a fresh install of maverick on it; every time the screensaver kicks in you have to type the PIN in using the wired keyboard, followed by the PIN on the bluetooth keyboard otherwise it won't connect. Both of the above laptops are running 32bit standard gnome based ubuntu.

I've tried searching for any configuration file that contains the bluetooth address of the mediaboard on the 311c without success, and bluez documentation is absolutely dire so no clues there as to where it keeps this information there. Checked the gnome keyring, not a sniff of anything bluetooth there either. Trawling through the installed files list for bluez listed in synaptic drew a blank too.

Something has changed in the bluez configuration between lucid and maverick. I can't find out what, and short of trawling the source code I'm not sure there is a way of finding out. I don't really want to hose the maverick install on my htpc, install lucid then upgrade to maverick just to fix this.

I guess most people don't use bluetooth keyboards, and for them this isn't any sort of deal. However it used to work and it doesn't now, and it prevents a whole class of PC useage (HTPCs) from functioning, as well as making most bluetooth device use a complete pain. So its a MAJOR REGRESSION which fell through whatever testing was done on maverick prior to release. Hopefully this isn't the beginning of a 'so there's a bug, bite me' microsoftian attitude creeping in here

[bric]

That's interesting about the upgrade from Lucid being okay. I'm tempted to go that route but, like yourself...

I don't really want to hose the maverick install on my htpc, install lucid then upgrade to maverick just to fix this.

In my case I installed ... bluez compat and (?) another bluez related package I can't recall at the moment (I made note somewhere). And now the bluetooth can be kick started by doing a "sudo hidd --search" (on the wired keyboard). An unsatisfactory workaround in almost all respects.

Hey, I wonder if I could dump that command into a cron job and have it repeat every 15 minutes or so. Hmmmmm... have to try that next time I'm over at my parents place (with the htpc).

[sripplinger]

I have a Mediaboard Pro and brand spanken new installations of Meerkat on an MSI laptop (built in bluetooth) and on my HTPC (USB Bluetooth). With my HTPC I am having the exact issue described by bric. Pair, entering the code on the mediaboard and then 0000 on a wired keyboard. Delete pairing and repair, only entering pin on mediaboard. Keyboard then works, but only until it goes to sleep, is turned off, or the computer restarts.

I need to test this further on my laptop, but pairing worked much more easily. Code only entered once on the mediaboard. I got no request from the bluetooth keyboard to have its pin entered on the laptop keyboard (that's what the 0000 is). I haven't tested whether the pairing is retained after reboot or turning the keyboard on and off. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

But for now, my theory is that it may have something to do with the bluetooth hardware being used, rather than the installation (i.e. built-in bluetooth vs USB). If anyone else comes up with something more, lemme know. Also, if someone submits a bug report please post a link here so the rest of us can follow and contribute.